
Glass O^'-^.TG^ 



Book 






PRINTER? : 
WHITEHEAD AND MILLER, LTD., 

LEEDS. 



THE MURDER OF 
EDWIN DROOD 







[Frontispiece 



THE MURDER OF 
EDWIN DROOD 

RECOUNTED BY JOHN JASPER 

BEING 

An Attempted Solution of the Mystery based on 
Dickens' Manuscript and Memoranda. 

BY 

PERCY T^ GARDEN 



AN INTRODUCTION. 

BY 

B. W. MATZ. 



G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 

New York 

1920 






#7s-Tf-, 



PRINTERS : 

WHITEHEAD AND MILLER, LTD. 

LEEDS. 



INDEX 



List of Illustrations 
Introduction by B. W. Matz 
Author's Preface 
The Manuscript Begins 
Episode I. Dead and Buried 

,, II. A Key and its Keeper . . 

„ III. Accounts for the Unaccountable 

,, IV. The Eng.\ged Couple 

V. The Green-Eyed Monster 

,, VI. Mr. Jasper Proposes 
VII. On Secret Service 

,, VIII. Landless Proposes 

IX. The Third D.awn . . 

X. Helena's Part 
,, XI. Flight and Pursuit 

The Manuscript Ends 

Postscript 

Appendices 



PAGE 

viii 



7 

.. 19 

.. 27 

.. 43 

.. 49 

.. 63 

.. 69 

.. 79 

.. 89 

.. 103 

. . 109 

.. 115 

.. 116 

.. 119 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Frontispiece 



TO FACE 
PAGE 



John Jasper's Gateway . . . . . . . . . . 9 •/ 

Ordnance Survey Map . . . . . . . . . . 13 "' 

The Cathedral and Precincts (From 800 Feet) .. is'' 

DuRDLES Cautions Sapsea Against Boasting . . . . 29 * 

The Cathedral and Precincts (From 500 Feet) . . 37 '^ 

" The Mystery of Edwin Drood." (Original Cover 81 " 
Drawing) 



INTRODUCTION 

BY 

B. W. MATZ. 

NEVER having attempted to solve the wonderful 
mystery woven into Dickens' unfinished story, 
and thereby being innocent of marked prejudices 
regarding the numerous knotty problems it presents to 
those who delve deeply into its intricacies, I have no 
misgivings in complying with the invitation to write a 
few prefatory words to this, the latest endeavour to 
unravel the tangled threads of the story's fabric. 

I am, however, an enthusiastic student of the 
problem, content with the fascination derived from 
following the many by-ways traversed by all those who 
seek to lead others to a solution. That there have been 
many such guides a long row of books and pamphlets 
bear witness. Alluring in themselves, each book in its 
own different way contributes something to the in- 
tellectual exercise which the minute study of the subject 
offers. 

I suppose every reader of Edwin Drood laments 
bitterly that it comes to so abrupt an end, and few lay it 
aside without some thought as to how it was to terminate 
had Dickens lived to finish it. Many devote to the 
mystery something more than the concession of a passing 
thought, and some attempt with scholarly instinct to 
unravel its mysteries for themselves, and evolve theories 
concerning its probable ending until they are caught 



Introduction 



by the fever of its subtle spell. And so the readers of 
the book are divided into two classes : those who are 
badly attacked by the fever and those who prove to 
be immune. The former have come to be dubbed 
" Droodists," and it is for these that scientific efforts 
to solve the problem, of which Mr. Garden's is one, have 
their chief interest and attraction. Although the one 
and true solution may never definitely be discovered, 
there is no doubt that every fresh study of the book 
reveals something helpful towards that end, and for that 
reason has its particular value. In this way, one point, 
hitherto debatable, has been established with sufficient 
surety to put it beyond doubt : John Jasper actually 
murdered his nephew. Mr. Garden starts off from that 
hypothesis, and I am naturally in complete agreement 
with him on that point. 

The otl;ier main question which confronts and 
baffles all students is that of the Datchery assumption. 
That Datchery is one of the characters of the book in 
disguise is generally agreed, and each of those who 
could possibly have filled that role has in turn been 
suggested, and the individual cases presented and argued 
by previous writers. The weeding out process leaves 
as most likely Helena Landless, Bazzard and Tartar. 
The strongest claim has been for Helena Landless, whilst 
Bazzard has been a favourite second. Mr. Garden 
chooses Tartar, and his case for the sailor is much the 
best that has yet been presented. In arriving at this 
conclusion he is able also to find an important part 
for Helena to perform quite in keeping with the peculiar 
and distinctive traits in her character, traits which 



Introduction xi 



Dickens so often insists in revealing, and chiefly for which 
she has been singled out as the fitting person to enact 
the part. Bazzard too, is found work by Mr. Garden 
suitable to his disposition and far more in keeping with 
his nature than that of plapng at being a detective. 

But Mr. Garden's book appeals to me as one of the 
most important contributions to the subject by virtue 
of the fact that he has read and studied carefully every 
word of the manuscript and of the notes which Dickens 
prepared for his own guidance, and has collated them 
with the printed book. The result is his discovery of 
certain erasures and alterations in the manuscript 
which help him to come to certain conclusions, not 
possible without this close study and comparison. 
These include certain passages which Dickens wrote and 
which were not published, one of which refers to Dur- 
dles's yard, and the possibility of Jasper availing himself 
of it in conjunction with his use of quick-lime in the 
execution of his deed. He also has been able to locate 
at Rochester the site of Durdles's yard, which makes his 
theory regarding the manner of the murder and the 
attempted concealment of it locally quite possible. 

His reading too of the cover design is most in- 
genious and quite consistent with his theory. The figure 
kneeling to Rosa on the left hand side he claims to be 
Neville Landless, for he discovers internal evidence 
that Neville had a moustache — a real piece of the 
Sherlock Holmes method. 

But perhaps the most important and interesting 
discovery he has made is the exact date of the story 
which almost eerily fits the context in every detail. 



Introduction 



including even the topography of Rochester and the 
neighbourhood at the time the story was being enacted. 
This enables him to work out the complete chronology 
of events to the surmounting of the hitherto arguable 
point concerning the phrase " at about this time," at 
the beginning of chapter xviii. 

Altogether, Mr. Garden has made a notable con- 
tribution to the solution of the ever green and ever 
baffling puzzle, and although, of course, it is not supposed 
that everyone will be in agreement with his theories, 
few will dispute the care and reason he employs in stating 
his case or his competency to deal with the whole problem. 

Mr. Garden is a newcomer in the game as he calls it 
— a game the greatest danger to which he thinks is lest 
it should one day end in a complete solution. In the 
meantime, he enters the centre court, and with his 
effective strokes, fresh methods and new ideas, is sure to 
stimulate the other players and attract the onlookers, 
for throughout he exhibits a sane, good-natured and 
dignified attitude. For these reasons his performance 
is worthy of careful study and consideration in con- 
junction and in comparison with those of the " Older 
Hands," who have done so much to make the game such 
a fine and skilful pastime. 



AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 

THE Murder of Edwin Drood " has been chosen 
as the title of this book because, in the author's 
opinion, doubt is no longer possible that Edwin 
Drood was murdered. If the intrinsic evidence afforded 
by the book, strong as it is, is not thought to be con- 
clusive, yet there remain the added testimonies of Charles 
Dickens' son, of his biographer and of his illustrator, 
and these render almost inevitable a verdict of " wilful 
murder " against John Jasper. 

The originahty of the story, had Dickens hved to 
complete it, was to have consisted in " the review of the 
murderer's career by himself at the close, when its 
temptations were to be dwelt upon as if not he, the 
culprit, but some other man were the tempted." So 
Forster tells us in his " Life of Charles Dickens." The last 
chapters of the book were to have been written in the con- 
demned cell, and it is for this reason that the present 
story takes the form of a manuscript confession by 
Jasper of his crime. But since Jasper's wickedness was 
to have been " all elaborately eUcited from him as if 
told of another," the narrative has been framed im- 
personally in a series of episodes made to read like a 
novel rather than the confession or autobiography of 
a murderer. The introductory and the concluding por- 
tions, however, are supposed to have been penned in the 
first person by Jasper in his condemned cell. These 
portions are in fact taken (with such slight adaptations 



xiv Author's Preface 

as the purpose for which they are borrowed renders 
necessary) from the short story which Dickens named 
" A confession found in a prison in the time of Charles 
the Second." This little read story appears in " Master 
Humphrey's Clock." It is not perhaps a perfect tale, 
but certainly it is a " strong " one. It teUs the story 
of the murder by an uncle of his brother's child aged 
four or five. The body was unearthed by bloodhounds 
from its grave beneath the chair the cowering murderer 
was then seated upon. After condemnation the murderer 
reviews his own career and (speaking posthumously 
from his prison cell) sets down on paper a critical analysis 
of his morbid mind and motives. The author has 
ventured to draw upon this story to supply the atmo- 
sphere of a Confession such as Dickens had intended to 
ehcit from Jasper. 

An apology is no doubt expected from the author 
for this addition to the already astounding library of 
books on Edwin Drood. He will also, perhaps, be ex- 
pected to explain what kind of book it is that he has 
attempted to achieve. Is it a sequel or a solution ? 
Continuations and sequels, Mr. Cuming Walters has said, 
must be sharply distinguished from theories and 
solutions. The writers of sequels, he has truly added, 
have " cut the Gordian knot rather than untied it." 
The solutionists, on the other hand, have honestly 
attempted extrication. If the author must be classified 
with one of these, he naturally prefers penning as a sheep 
with the solutionists to casting forth from the fold with 
the continuation goats. His claim to be a sheep is that 
he has honestly attempted extrication of some among 



Author's Preface xv 

the many mysteries of Edwin Drood. He makes no claim 
to have completed the masterpiece which Charles 
Dickens of immortal memory has left unfinished. Only 
the unknown sculptor of the famous Venus could com- 
plete that statue as a work of art. But a very sorry 
artist might have the luck to solve the mysteries of its 
complete construction and by means of a con jectur ally 
completed statue would best convey the original artist's 
notion. 

Good wine needs no bush, and no apology is needed 
for pubhshing unpubhshed words of Dickens. The 
manuscript of Edwin Drood is in the Forster collection 
at the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, 
and is open to public inspection. Just before the war 
it occurred to the present author to study this manu- 
script minutely. He was rewarded by the discovery 
of passages unmistakably written by Dickens which have 
never appeared in print. He has transcribed these 
passages. They will be found incorporated and duly 
noted in this book. He also scrutinized very carefully 
for clues, the " Plans " for Edwin Drood that Dickens 
jotted for his personal use and studied microscopically 
such of the alterations, deletions and interiineations in 
the manuscript and proofs as are decipherable. These 
new discoveries proved of value and one excision in 
particular threw out a hint by which the author has been 
enabled as he believes, to solve a mystery that has 
baffled other solvers. It concerns the quick-Hme. 
(See App. IV). 

Cloisterhara, as the student of the Mystery is of 
course aware, is Rochester. There was no spire in those 



xvi Author's Preface 

days, but otherwise the Cathedral and its precincts 
have changed but httle since the night when Jasper 
looked down from the Cathedral Tower " on Cloisterham 
fair to see in the moonlight ; its ruined habitations 
and sanctuaries of the dead at the Tower's base ; its 
moss-softened red tiled roofs and red-brick houses of 
the living clustering beyond ; its river winding down 
from the mist on the horizon, as though that were its 
source, and already heaving with a restless knowledge 
of its approach towards the sea." Like Jasper we 
are privileged to view this scene ; but by daylight and 
from a point of vantage higher even than the tower top. 
Sailing high above the City in a sea-plane the camera's 
uncanny eye unrolls the picture like a map beneath us. 
Then falling to 800 feet we view the scene as Jasper saw 
it, but without the tower's obstruction which blocked 
the view behind him. There, spread out before us, 
is the whole scene of the murder and the journey Jasper 
was engaged upon. Next, coming very low we get a 
splendid view of the graves in one of which was Edwin's 
" final destination " ; and can follow too the route 
which Jasper took to carry quick-lime to it ; after which 
we skim the leaded roofs which Jasper scrambled 
over and fly back to the sea-plane station on the 
river. 

To Major Sippe, D.S.O., of Short Bros., Ltd., the 
author tenders his most grateful thanks for these air 
photographs of Rochester. Without them it would have 
been impossible to convey that local knowledge which 
is essential to a true understanding of the Mystery. 
They were taken expressly for this book by a " Short " 



Author's Preface xvii 

sea-plane on the 23rd of March, in response to a simple 
telephone enquiry by the author's friend Mr. C. G. 
Grey, the Editor of The Aeroplane, and quite gratui- 
tuousl3^ The author thanks and congratulates the 
pilot, Mr. Vance E. Galloway, and the photographic 
staff of Short Bros., Ltd., most heartily. 

" There seem to be tens of thousands of persons in 
this country " (writes a hostile critic of " this eternal 
controversy ") " who worry over the Drood problem 
as chess enthusiasts do over mates in five moves." 
The accusation is a true one and need not have been 
limited to this country. But why should W'e not ? 
Is it not " an amiable hobby that shies at nothing and 
kicks nobody ? " Might not we ten thousand have been 
worse employed ? " Yes, but it leads nowhere," the 
critic answers " the Mystery is insoluble and the solu- 
tionists merely contradict each other." That accusa- 
tion is not true. Step by step the many mysteries are 
being solved. The greatest danger is lest the game 
one day should have an end in a complete solution. 
But that day is not yet. To his mentors in this game 
the author tenders thanks for the pleasure he has had 
from it. He would name especially Professor Henry 
Jackson {About Edwin Drood), Mr. Montagu Saunders 
{The Mystery in the Drood Family), and Mr. Cuming 
Walters {The Complete Edwin Drood). Of Mr. G, F. 
Gadd {The Case for Tartar) the author's temptation is 
to say " pereant qui ante nos nostra," etc. 

Besides these and others, the author has received 
welcome assistance from his brother Major E. D. Garden, 
who enlarged and adapted for him the Ordnance Map of 



xviii Author's Preface 

Rochester, and in a very special degree from Mr. B. W. 
Matz, but for whose approval, encouragement and 
assistance, this book would not have been published. 



THE MANUSCRIPT BEGINS. 



THE MURDER OF 
EDWIN DROOD 

THE MANUSCRIPT BEGINS. 

THIS is the last night I have to live, and I will set 
down the naked truth without disguise. I am 
a double murderer. 

I was never a cheerful or a happy man. From 
childhood I have always been of a solemn, sombre, 
secret nature. 

I speak of myself as if I had passed from the world, 
for while I write this, my grave is digging and my name 
is written in the black book of death. 

I had a nephew — Ned. I say " I had," because last 
Christmas Eve I killed and buried him. In the prim 
prison cemetery outside this cell, I hear my burial pre- 
paring. Ned never heard my preparation of his place of 
sepulture. To-morrow as I travel to the scaffold through 
the cemetery I shall see my open grave. To think how 
often Ned and I have gone together through that other 
churchyard and passed his bur5dng place ; two fellow- 
travellers I on the road of death ! To think how many 

1 Two Fellow Travellers. The phrase " a fellow-traveller," em- 
ployed by Jasper, in the opium den, of Edwin, has evoked discussion. 
Some read it Hterally, others in a sense merely metaphorical. Jasper 
and Edwin had travelled together literally and often past the latter's 
destined grave unknown to Edwin. Metaphorically, too, the pair 
were fellow-travellers on the road of death and neither knew it. The 
ambiguity is probably intentional. 



THE MURDER OF 



times he went the journey and never saw the road ! 
Ned never knew his death was near. He died without 
a struggle. 

Perhaps I hide the truth from myself, but I do not 
think that when this began I meditated to do him any 
wrong. I may have thought how serviceable his in- 
heritance would be to me, and may have wished him 
dead ; but I believe I had no thought of compassing his 
death. Neither did the idea come upon me at once, 
but by very slow degrees, presenting itself at first in 
very dim shapes at a very great distance, as men may 
think of an earthquake or the last day ; then drawing 
nearer and nearer, and losing something of its horror 
and improbability ; then coming to be part and parcel 
— nay nearly the whole sum and substance — of my daily 
thoughts, and resolving itself into a question of means 
and safety ; not of doing or abstaining from the deed. 
While this was going on within me I never could bear 
that Ned should call me Uncle ; nor have him note the 
intentness of my look — that look of hungry, exacting, 
watchful and yet (as he supposed) devoted affection 
which I knew to be always on my face when addressed 
in his direction. And yet I was under a fascination 
which made it a kind of business with me to contemplate 
his slight and fragile figure and think how easily it 
might be done. Sometimes I would steal upstairs and 
watch him as he slept.^ How easy it would be to smother 
him ! 



^ As he slept. "His nephew lies asleep, calm and untroubled. 
John Jasper stands looking down upon him, his unlighted pipe in his 
hand, for a long time with a fixed attention." 



EDWIN DROOD 



" Inhuman callous brute," I hear you call me, 
" cold-bloodedly to set down thus the morbid details 
of his murderous thoughts and actions." 

No longer, therefore, will I tell my tale myself ; 
but will set forth instead the story of another murderer. 



EPISODE I. 
DEAD AND BURIED. 




Coli&fe C^s^^te- 






JOHN JASPER'S GATEWAY. 



EPISODE I. 
DEAD AND BURIED. 

ON the Eve of Christmas, 1842, at midnight 
precisely, and at the very cUmax of the great 
storm which went thundering along the empty 
streets rattling at all the latches and tearing at all the 
shutters as if warning the people to get up and fly viith 
it, John Jasper murdered Edwin Drood. 

Jealousy was the motive of the murder and a large 
black scarf of strong close-woven silk the instrument. 
The death was instantaneous ^ ; the body hidden 
immediately.^ 

Staged at Cloisterham, the tragedy took place 
within the sombre precincts of the old Cathedral . Among 
these secluded nooks there is very little stir or movement 
after dark. There is little enough in the high tide of 
the day, but there is next to none at night. Besides 
that the cheerfully frequented High Street is the natural 
channel in which the Cloisterham traffic flows, a certain 
awful hush pervades the ancient pile, the cloisters and 
the churchyard after dark which not many people care 

1 The Death was Instantaneous. Jasper tells the Opium Woman 
as much. "Time and place are both at hand. . . Hush! The 
journey's made. Its over." " So soon ? " " That's what I said to 
you. So soon." 

2 The Body Hidden Immediately. The site of the murder and of 
the burial must have been close together. Common sense requires it. 
Also Forster says so. " By means of a gold ring which had resisted 
the corrosive effects of the lime into which he had thrown the body, 
not only the person murdered was to have been identified, but the 
locality of the crime." 



10 THE MURDER OF 

to encounter. One might fancy that the tide of hfe 
was stemmed by Mr. Jasper's own Gatehouse. The 
murmur of the tide is heard beyond. But no wave 
passes the archway over which his lamp burns red 
behind his curtain as if the building were a lighthouse. 

On this Christmas Eve, three are to dine together 
in the house of Jasper on the margin of the tide of life. 
The host is to be peacemaker between his nephew and 
the shy fierce stranger Neville Landless, ^vith whom 
Edwin has quarrelled bitterly. A social dinner and the 
season of good-will provide the occasion. Neville is 
the first to arrive at the postern stair beneath the gate- 
way. Twice he passes it by, reluctant it seems to enter. 
" I wish I were not going to this dinner; Helena," he 
has told his sister. But at last with a rapid turn, he 
passes in. 

Edwin Drood comes next. He has spent a solitary 
day, and as he strolls about and about to pass the time 
until the dinner hour, his wonted carelessness has been 
replaced by a wistful looking at and dwelling upon all 
the familiar landmarks of Cloisterham. He will soon 
be far away and may never see them again, he thinks. 
Ah, he little knows ^ how near a case he has for thinking 
so. Poor youth, poor youth ! The Cathedral chime 
strikes a sudden surprise to his heart as he turns in under 
the archway of the Gatehouse. And so he goes up the 
postern stair. 

John Jasper passes a more agreeable and cheerful 

^ He little knows. This passage is here published for the first time 
from Dickens' manuscript (see Author's Introduction). " Poor 
youth, poor youth ! " was substituted in the printed book. 



EDWIN DROOD ii 

day than either of his guests. He is in beautiful voice 
this day. In the pathetic suppHcation to have his 
heart inchned to keep this law he quite astonishes his 
fellows by his melodious power. His nervous temp- 
perament is occasionally prone to take difficult music a 
little too quickly. To-day his time is perfect. These 
results are probably attained by a grand composure of 
the spirits. The mere mechanism of his throat is a 
little tender for he wears a large black scarf of strong 
close-woven silk slung loosely round his neck. After 
service he accompanies Mr. Crisparkle to Minor Canon 
Corner to call for Neville. Finding that his guest has 
already left for' the Gatehouse, he bids good-night to 
the Minor Canon on the latter's doorstep, retraces his 
steps to the Cathedral door, and turns down past it 
towards his home. He sings in a low voice and with 
delicate expression as he walks along. It still seems 
as if a false note were not in his power to-night, and 
as if nothing could hurry or retard him. Arriving thus 
under the arched entrance of his dwelling, he pauses 
for an instant in the shelter to pull off that great black 
scarf, and hang it in a loop upon his arm. For that 
brief time his face is knitted and stern. But it im- 
mediately clears, as he resumes his singing and his way. 
And so he goes up the postern stair. 

"Three are to meet at the Gatehouse to-night." 
They meet and dine and the dinner is dull but decorous. 
The quarrel is healed and some half-hour before mid- 
night the dinner party breaks up. 

At Jasper's suggestion Nevdlle and Edwin go down to 
the river to see the action of the wind there. Jasper 




BASED UPON THE ORDNANCE SURVEY MAP WITH THE SANCTION 
OF THE CONTROLLER OF H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE. 



EDWIN DROOD 13 

excuses himself on the score of his throat and bids them 
good-night at the foot of the postern stair. 

" When shall these three meet again ? 
In thunder, lightning or in rain ? " 
No sooner have the pair turned down the High 
Street towards the river than Jasper regains his room, 
changes his coat for a pea-jacket, puts on his low-crowned 
flap-brimmed hat, loops once more upon his arm the 
black silk scarf, and treading softly down the postern 
stair, issues forth carrying keys and an unlit lantern. 
He turns right-handed ^ towards the churchyard and 
cathedral, and leaves the High Street and his guests 
behind him. On reaching the railed-in graveyard on his 
left he unlocks the gate and steps inside. Then selecting 
a vault and entering it, he comes out again almost at 
once, leaving his unlit lamp within. He then pursues 
the path past the west door of the cathedral. This 
brings him to Minor Canon Row, at the end of which far- 
thest from Neville's temporary home there is a piece of old 
dwarf wall, breast high, the only remaining boundary 
of what was once a garden, but is now the thoroughfare. 

* He turns Right-handed. The reader is invited to consult the plan 
and the air photographs from time to time for explanation and con- 
firmation of the story. Turning sharp to the left on coming out of 
the west door of the Cathedral, the only path leads straight to Minor 
Canon Corner, which is at the west end of an obvious row of houses. 
This path continued leads to " the Vines" (not in the picture). Re- 
turning past the West Door, the path bisects the cemetery. The 
Drood sarcophagus and Sapsea tomb are in the right-hand, darkly 
shadowed portion of the graveyard. In the nearer photographic 
view the gate posts of the entrance to this part can just be seen. 
Next comes a church, and after that the Gatehouse spanning the foot- 
v^ay " on the margin of the tide of life," with the High Street visible 
beyond it. 



14 THE MURDER OF 

Behind this old dwarf wall Jasper stops and takes his 
station. Folding his arms upon the top of the wall 
he rests his chin on them and waits and watches. 

Meanwhile the storm blows and abates not. No 
such power of wind has blown for many a winter night. 
Chimneys topple in the streets and Neville and Edwin 
hold to posts and corners and to one another to keep 
themselves upon their feet. At last they reach the 
Corner, and take slight shelter from the storm beneath 
the porch above the Minor Canon's doorstep.^ As 
they part amicably, standing in the shaft of light cast 
through the open door from within the house, Jasper sees 
and watches them. This is the final meeting, and two 
of the three part there for ever. The door closes on Neville. 
Edwin retraces his steps towards the Gatehouse and so 
to bed. Cat-like, Jasper follows him. They pass the 
great West door of the Cathedral in close succession 
following the path across the pitch dark precincts. 
As the Cathedral tower tolls midnight they approach 
the steps which lead through the unlocked gate in the 
railings into the burial ground. Unheard in the echoing 
sounds Jasper closes in with sudden move upon his 
devoted victim and in an instant the great black scarf 
is tight round Edwin's windpipe. Without a struggle, 
an entreaty, without any consciousness of peril, Edwin is 
dead. 

" Time and Place are both at hand." Time — mid- 
night, Christmas Eve at the height of the great storm. 

5 The Porch above the Minor Canon's Doorstep. All the houses 
in the Row have porches. " They had odd little porches over the doors 
like sounding-boards over old pulpits." 




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EDWIN DROOD 15 

Place — the dark Cathedral Precincts. " Time, Place 
and Fellow Traveller." At midnight, on the eve of 
Christmas, at the point of greatest fury of the storm, 
crossing the deserted graveyard homeward bound goes 
Edwin Drood. " Hush," softly behind him Jasper 
approaches. " The journey's made, it's over." Ned 
is dead. " Wait a little. This is a vision. I shall 
sleep it off. It has been too short and easy. I must 
have a better vision than this ; this is the poorest of 
all. No struggle, no consciousness of peril, no en- 
treaty." Jasper in a sort of daze, between sleeping 
and waking stands over his victim half believing that he 
dreams it all. 

" And yet I never saw that before ! " Jasper is 
startled out of this reverie by his glance having fallen 
upon the corpse still lying at his feet. " Look at it ! 
Look what a poor mean miserable thing it is ! ^ That 
must be real. It's over." He knows his dream for 
reality at last. For the first time, too, he discovers the 
insignificance and weakness of that formidable and 
dangerous obstacle (as up to now he has pictured his 
rival to himself) the removal of which from his path he 
has made the one object of his hfe. 

With the realization there comes with a rush the 
need for instant action to conceal his crime. It is the 
work of less than a minute for Jasper to lift the body 

6 Look what a poor mean miserable thing it is ! Compare with this 
passage The Dream of Eugene Aram. 

" Two sudden blows with a ragged stick and one with a heavy stone. 
One hurried gash with a hasty knife — and then the deed was done ! 
There was nothing lying at my feet but Hfeless flesh and bone. 
Nothing but hfeless flesh and bone that could not do me ill." 



i6 THE MURDER OF 

in his arms, carry it up the two steps into the burial 
ground and lay it on the grass for one moment outside 
the sarcophagus within which lies the poor lad's final 
destination.' A few moments more are occupied in 
opening the door of the tomb, closing it again behind 
them, and hghting the lantern within. Its dim light 
discloses a spade, a small heap of lime and a cavity laid 
bare by the removal of a few bricks from the wall. 
What are these things doing here ? Jasper has a last 
precaution to be taken before that appears. Kneeling 
by the body he takes from its clothing all articles of 
jewellery 8 which he knows to be there. They are a watch 
and chain and shirt pin. This done he lifts the body 
into the cavity, then covers it completely with quick- 
lime and walls it up with bricks and mortar. Ned is 
hidden as safely as though buried in the Pyramids he 
tells himself ! Nothing now remains but to dust from 
his clothing all specks of lime, extinguish the lantern, 
open the door of the sarcophagus, close it and lock it 

7 The Sarcophagus. . . the Final Destination. During a lover's 
quarrel Edwin refers to " my destination " whereupon Rosa takes 
him up " you are not going to be buried in the P>Tamids I hope ? " 
Previous investigators have generally assumed that if Edwin's des- 
tination was a tomb, that tomb was Mrs. Sapsea's. The present author 
prefers to place him in the Drood sarcophagus. The Drood family 
tomb, which lay close to Mrs. Sapsea's, seems somehow more appro- 
priate than her's — an utter stranger. Jasper, as the elder Drood's 
executor, no doubt would be the person to have the key of his sarco- 
phagus. There is, however, no evidence that the cavity was in this 
particular tomb — it was not in Mrs. Sapsea's. 

^Edii'in's Jewellery. " He (Jasper) said with a smile that he had 
an inventory in his mind of all the jewellery his gentleman relative ever 
wore ; namely his watch and chain and his shirt pin." The original 
of the watchmaker to whom Jasper made this remark seems to have 
been D'Oiley the watchmaker in " The Disappearance of John 
Acland." 



EDWIN DROOD 17 

behind him, and return, noiseless and alone, to the 
lonely Gatehouse where the steady light is burning. 
That was Ned's last Christmas Eve. 



EPISODE II. 
A KEY AND ITS KEEPER. 



20 THE MURDER OF 



EPISODE 11. 
A KEY AND ITS KEEPER. 

MR. Thomas Sapsea, auctioneer, having in\dted Mr. 
John Jasper, Lay Precentor and Choir Master 
of Rochester Cathedral to supper at Mr. Sap- 
sea's house in the High Street on a day in the late 
Autumn before November gth.^ receives him there 
in his ground floor sitting-room characteristically 
attended by his portrait, his eight-day clock and his 
weather-glass. Durdles, stonemason, also looks in by 
invitation to take a glass of port with them and to receive 
instructions from Mr. Sapsea anent an inscription to be 
placed upon the late Mrs. Sapsea's funeral monument. 
Mrs. Sapsea's key is about to go into an inner 
breast pocket of Durdle's flannel coat when Jasper 
interrupts with a remark which leads to this key, and 
two others, being handed to him to feel their weight. 
Improvising conversation with Durdles the while, 
Jasper not only feels the weight of the keys but also 
studies the Sapsea key with. care, mentally noting the 
feel of its wards and the tone it gives out when struck. 
Then with ingenuous and friendly face he hands them 
back to Durdles who departs leaving Jasper and Sapsea 
to a hit at backgammon, followed by a supper of cold 

1 Before November gth. At this meeting with Jasper, Mr. Sapsea 
is not yet Mayor of Rochester. His importance has received this 
enhancement by the night of the unaccountable expedition. Lord 
Mayor's Day (November gth), has therefore intervened. 



EDWIN DROOD 21 

roast beef and salad. It is to be observed that the 
Sapsea key is not returned, as are the other two, into an 
inner pocket but is tied up in the dinner bundle, without 
which Durdles never appears in public. 

On Monday, November I4th,2 Jasper is again 
present at a Uttle party. This is the friendly dinner of 
eight at Minor Canon Corner, planned by Mr. Crisparkle, 
and utterly spoilt by Honeythunder, the ninth and 
uninvited guest. Disasters succeed one another through- 
out the evening and culminate in the quarrel at the Gate- 
house. Neville goes home hatless and, Edwin having gone 
to bed, Jasper follows Neville, with his hat, for the double 
purpose of assuring himself that the boy has really gone 
back to his tutor's and has not drowned himself, or done 
anything equally fatal to Jasper's plans and of blackening 
the case against him to Mr. Crisparkle without raising 
suspicion as to his own motives. These benevolent 
aims accomphshed, Jasper returns home through the 
Close,3 but on his way is brought to a standstill by the 
spectacle of Stony Durdles, dinner bundle and all, 

2 Monday, November 14th. This date is arbitrary except that 
it was a Monday " so many weeks " before Friday, December i6th, 
the day of the wonderful closet. 

3 Returns home through the Close. See the Note The Late Commotion 
on page 25. 

Professor Jackson gives a full account of the transposition of 
chapter V in " About Edwin Drood," and the author adopts his views 
verbatim. In addition to the evidence he puts forward it should be men- 
tioned (i) That the way from Sapsea's to the Gatehouse is not " through 
the Close," (2) That the manuscript comment on the Sapsea monu- 
ment introduced by Durdles is " with inscription finished." This 
is impossible if the same night as that in which it was put in hand is 
intended and (3) That the manuscript reference to " glittering frag- 
ments of the late commotion " is meaningless unless the night of 
Neville's quarrel is the night in question. 



22 THE MURDER OF 

leaning against the railing of the burial ground while 
Deputy flings stones at him in the moonlight. 

This chance meeting with Durdles, in this state, is 
most opportune for Jasper's plans. Offering to accom- 
pany Durdles to his home, Jasper first ascertains that 
the all-important key still lies where last he saw it put. 
This he does by patting the dinner bundle and hearing 
the key clink. Next he tries to secure possession of 
the bundle^ for a moment, but Durdles wiU not part 
with it, but starts, instead, to introduce to Jasper, 
in drunken fashion, the gravestones near-by ^ beginning 
with " Your own brother-in-law," and not forgetting 
Mrs. Sapsea, that devoted wife whose tomb now dis- 
plays the famous inscription finished.^ To have him on 
his own ground,' while helping him along, Jasper asks 
Durdles about his ramblings in the Crypt and round 
about the Cathedral, and gets Durdles to agree to let 
him go about with him sometime on these strange ex- 
peditions of his among the tombs, vaults, towers and 
ruins. As the mental state of Durdles^ and of all his 
sodden tribe is one hardly susceptible of astonishment 

4 Shall I cany your bundle ? Manuscript adds " Jasper pats it 
and it clinks," also " ' Not on any account,' repeats Durdles, adjusting 
it." 

5 The Gravestones Near-by. The manuscript has " Introducing a 
distant Sarchophagus," written and then deleted. 

* With Inscription Finished, manuscript. " Departed Assessed 
Taxes " was " Departed King's Taxes," and the gravestone of the 
much respected mutfin-maker was " With extinguished torch." 

7 To have him on his own ground. There words are in the manu- 
script immediately following " Is there anything new down in the 
Crypt, Durdles ? " asks John Jasper. 

8 The Mental State of Durdles. The whole of this passage is from 
the manuscript. 



EDWIN DROOD 23 

in itself so it is one hardly susceptible of any reasonable 
interpretation by other minds. But it happens to fall 
out to-night — just as it might have happened to fall 
out quite the other way — that Durdles rather likes his 
position in the dialogue and chuckles over it. 

When Jasper, pursuing his subject of romantic 
interest, says that what he dwells upon most is the 
remarkable accuracy with which Durdles would seem to 
find out where people are buried, Durdles decides to 
demonstrate his skill and looks about for some ledge 
or corner to place his bundle on. Jasper is quick to 
seize his chance and relieve him of it. Clink, cUnk. 
And his hammer is handed him. The Sapsea key is 
still within the bundle. How does Jasper know this ? 
He is used to pitching his note by sounding for it.^ At 
Sapsea's house he memorized the note the key gives out, 
and now " clink, clink " he has heard the note he seeks. 
Clearly the key has its regular residence tied up in the 
bundle where Jasper is content to leave it until he needs it. 

Deputy is now given warning and paid his wages 
and the longish journey is resumed. They have but to 
cross the Vines to come into Crow Lane at the bottom 
of which stands the crazy wooden house, the Traveller's 
Twopenny.^" As Jasper and Durdles come near this 
place a woman is seen ^^ crouching and smoking in the 
cold night air on a seat just outside the door which 

9 By sounding for it. Manuscript. " You pitch your note by 
sounding for it, don't you Mr. Jasper ? " 

10 The Traveller's Twopenny. It is not without interest that this 
famous spot was nearly called " The Traveller's Threepenny Lodgings." 
The manuscript has it so with Threepenny deleted. 

^^ See next page. 



24 THE MURDER OF 

stands ajar. Of a sudden Jasper stops and looks at this 
woman — the Ughter coloured figure of Durdles being 
between himself and her — very keenly. "Is that 
Deputy " ? she croaks out in a whimpering and feeble 
way ; " where have you been you young good-for- 
nothing wretch ? " " Out for my 'elth " returns the 
hideous sprite. " I'll claw you," retorts the woman, 
" when I can lay my fingers on you. I'll be bad for your 
'elth (O me, O me, my breath is so short), I wanted my 
pipe and my little spoon and j^e'd been and put 'em 
on a shelf I couldn't find." " Wot did yer go to bed for 
then," retorts Deputy quite unabashed. " Who'd 
ha' thought you was going to get up again ? " " You, 
you might ha' known I was hke to do it." " Yer lie," 
says Deputy in his only form of contradiction." Further 
wrangling between the two is stopped by some half- 
dozen other hideous small boys who start into the moon- 
light like vultures attracted by some carrion scent of 
Deputy in the air, and instantly fall to stoning him and 
one another. Durdles remarks of the young savages 
with some point that " They haven't got an object " 
and leads the way down the lane. At the junction of 
Crow Lane with the High Street, they turn the corner 
into safety 12 and Jasper takes Durdles home — Durdles 
stumbhng up his stony yard ^^ as if he were going to 



11 A Woman is seen. . . His only form of contradiction. The 
whole of this passage is in the manuscript verbatim. Its exclusion 
from the printed book is explained by a Note in the manuscript headed 
" Plans." 

12 They turn the corner into safety. This is clearly the corner formed 
by the junction of Crow Lane and the High Street. 

1^ See next page. 



EDWIN DROOD 25 

turn headforemost into one of the unfinished tombs. 
John Jasper returns to his Gatehouse by another way ^^ 
— the High Street — and entering softly with his key, 
finds his fire still burning and on the hearth some glittering 
fragments of the late commotion ^^ He ascends an inner 
staircase of only a few steps leading to two rooms. 
One his own sleeping chamber, one his nephew's. 1^ 
There is a hght in each. His nephew lies asleep, calm 
and untroubled. Jasper stands looking down upon him 
a long time with a fixed attention. Then he passes to 
his own room, lights his pipe of opium and delivers 
himself to the ghosts and phantoms it invokes at mid- 
night. So ends this long eventful Monday. 

13 Up his stony yard. " Up " in the manuscript becomes " among 
the litter of " in the printed text. The ground in fact runs uphill on 
that side of the High Street. 

^^Aizother way. See the plan. Observe how carefully Dickens 
leads the reader on to the conclusion that Durdle's house is far away 
from the cemetery ; as it is by any orthodox approach. Compare 
also : " We can't help going round by the Traveller's Twopenny, if 
we go the short way, which is the back way." The manuscript has 
" we must go "and " the right way " both deleted. It is not accidental. 

15 The Late Commotion. This is from the manuscript. It proves 
to the hilt Professor Jackson's theory of the displacement of Chapter V. 

16 One his Own. . . One his Nephew's. The verbal deviations 
from the printed text here are taken from the manuscript. 



EPISODE III. 
ACCOUNTS FOR THE UNACCOUNTABLE. 



EPISODE III. 
ACCOUNTS FOR THE UNACCOUNTABLE.i 

MONDAY, December 19th 2 the third day after Mr. 
Crisparkle's mission of peace to Jasper, brings 
a letter from Edwin, ^ proposing (as Jasper had 
advised him to propose) a friendly dinner with Neville 
on Xmas Eve " the better the day the better the deed, 
and let there be only we three, and let us shake hands 
all round there and then, and say no more about it." 
The date fixed for the dinner is less than a week ahead. 
So Jasper takes the letter round at once to the Minor 
Canon, who, quite elated, asks " You expect Mr. Neville, 
then," to which Jasper's reply is " I count upon his 
coming." On the evening of the same day Mr. Sapsea, 
now Mayor of Rochester, is walking slowly with his 

1 The Unaccountable Expedition. This chapter according to the 
manuscript " Plans," was to " lay the ground for the manner of the 
murder to come out at last." Unless the murder really was a murder 
it is difficult to see how the manner of it could come out at last ! 

2 Monday, December igth. Mr. Crisparkle fixes this date by what 
he says to Neville (see beloic). The group which met in view of the 
Gatehouse on this Monday evening has been placed by Sir L. Fildes, 
in his striking illustration, on the exact spot chosen by Jasper for the 
murder of his nephew. It was not, however, where Sapsea stands 
at the entrance to the left-hand portion of the graveyard that Jasper 
throttled Edwin, but just behind the cautioning figure of Durdles 
whose back is turned on his own yard. Jasper, who is looking at 
Durdles, can see beyond him a corner entrance to the larger piece 
of burial ground containing the Sapsea tomb and Drood sarcophagus. 
The Dean's field of vision includes another pathway along which at 
a later hour to-night Jasper will be carrying quick-lime from Durdles' 
yard towards Edwin's burial place (see the plan). 

3 Edwin's Letter. Immediately he learnt from Neville on the 
previous Friday of Neville's infatuation for Rosa, Mr. Crisparkle had 



30 THE MURDER OF 

hands behind him near the Churchyard. Turning a 
comer he comes at once into the goodly presence of the 
Dean conversing with the Verger and Mr. Jasper about 
Jasper's nocturnal expedition to be made to-night with 
Durdles. Sapsea appearing thus opportunely, Jasper 
makes prompt use of the pompous ass by naming him 

exacted pledges from him (a) not to divulge his secret to Rosa, and 
(6) that Drood making the first advance the quarrel between them 
should be ended for ever. To secure that Drood shall make the first 
advance, Crisparkle decides to seek the aid of Jasper, to whom he 
says " I want to establish peace between these two young fellows," 
Jasper is perplexed. No wonder. The quarrel is essential to his 
scheme, and yet he must appear to wish to bring about a reconciliation. 
" How ? " he asked. " I want you to get your nephew to write you 
a short note in his lively fashion saying that he is willing to shake hands." 
Jasper turned that perplexed face towards the fire. Mr. Crisparkle 
found it even more perplexing than before, inasmuch as it seemed 
to denote (which could hardly be) some close internal calculation." 
Jasper was calculating — was there time ? There was less than 
a week to Christmas. Edwin would arrive on the 23rd to make the 
final preparation for the marriage. He still might break off the engage- 
ment and live. He must be given until Christmas Eve at least. Yet 
a reconciliation with Neville could not be long postponed if once they 
met each other, as they were bound to do in Cloisterham. A public 
notorious reconciliation would be fatal to Jasper's plans. Why not 
a private one, with no witnesses, on Christmas Eve, immediately before 
the time fixed by Jasper for the murder ? That would bring the two 
together at the vital moment for Jasper's plans. Rightly regarded, 
in fact, this suggestion of Mr. Crisparkle's will smooth the way for 
Jasper's plan (manuscript "plans" has noted against the title of the 
Chapter " Smoothing the Way," that is for Jasper's plan through Mr. 
Crisparkle who takes new ground on Neville's new confidence.) Yes, 
but will Neville come ? Is it safe to rely on his coming ? " You are 
always responsible and trustworthy Mr. Crisparkle. Do you rezilly 
feel sure that you can answer for Neville so confidently ? " "I do." 
The perplexed and perplexing look vanished. " I will do it." As 
soon as Mr. Crisparkle had left him, Jasper sat down and drafted 
and sent to Edwin the letter he wished to receive from him. Thus 
making it appear as if his own suggested time table originated with 
Edwin. On the third day after this (Sunday intervening), he received 
from Edwin the letter for which he had asked containing nothing 
altered or added except expressions of afiection and a postscript. 



EDWIN DROOD 31 

as the real originator of his own odd archaeological 
whim ; Jasper even succeeds in causing Sapsea to say 
that he himself recollects having made the suggestion ! 
Durdles then comes slouching up and he too joins the 
group and amuses the others by cautioning Sapsea against 
the bad habit of boasting ; after which caution Sapsea 
stalks off. Durdles then going home to clean himself, the 
group breaks up ; the Dean withdrawing to his dinner, 
Tope to his tea, and Jasper to his piano where he sits 
chanting choir music in a low voice until it has been 
for some time dark and the moon is about to rise. Then 
he closes his piano softly, softly changes his coat for a 
pea jacket, with a goodly wicker-cased bottle in its 
largest pocket and putting on a low-crowned flap- 
brimmed hat goes softly out. 

Why does he move so softly to-night ? No out- 
ward reason is apparent for it. Can there be any 
sympathetic reason crouching darkly within him ? 

Jasper next repairs, as arranged, to Durdles' home. 
Durdles is an old bachelor, and he lives in a little 
antiquated hole of a house that was never finished ; 
supposed to be built so far of stones stolen from the 
City wall. It overlooks the Churchyard.* To this 
abode there is an approach ankle deep in stone chips. 



4 It overlooks the Churchyard. These words are omitted in the 
printed book. In the manuscript they form part of the description 
of Durdles' home given in Chapter IV. They solve a problem of great 
importance. They explain how it was possible for Jasper to carry the 
quick-lime from Durdles' yard to the Drood sarcophagus without 
attracting observation. (See Appendix IV). The exact position of 
Durdles' yard is therefore of great importance. It is clearly shewn 
upon the plan. 



32 THE MURDER OF 

Turning in here from the High Street, Jasper finds 
Durdles ready for their unaccountable expedition. 
Durdles takes his dinner bundle, a lantern and some 
matches and they start out together. Jasper, who is 
ahead at the yard gate, is warned by Durdles to beware 
of the mound of lime he sees there " quick enough to 
eat your boots. With a little handy stirring quick 
enough to eat your bones." But it is not Jasper's bones 
which are destined to that fate and so they go on to- 
wards the Cathedral presently passing the red windows 
of the Traveller's Twopenny and emerging into the clear 
moonlight of the Monk's Vineyard. This crossed they 
come to Minor Canon Row of which the greater part 
lies in shadow until the moon ^ shall rise higher in the 
sky. 

The sound of a closing house door strikes their 
ears, and two men come out. They are Mr. Crisparkle 
and Neville. Jasper with a strange and sudden smile 
upon his face lays the palm of his hand upon the breast 
of Durdles stopping him where he stands. 

5 The Moon. Careful attention is devoted by Dickens (and 
should be by the reader) to the moonlight shadows throughout the 
evening. The references to them are part of the plot, and not merely 
padding or picturesqueness. By a happy coincidence the shadows 
cast by the sun when the air photograph was being taken 
approximate very closely indeed to those cast by the moon on the night 
in question. 

Jasper sat at his piano with no light but that of the fire from early 
dusk, " for two or three hours, in short, until it has been for some time 
dark, and the moon is about to rise." The sun set that night at 3-50, 
and the moon rose two hours and five minutes later. The moon, by 
the way, was at the full two nights before this. It seems, therefore, 
that the start of the expedition was about 7 p.m., and that it lasted 
some six hours or more. 



EDWIN DROOD 33 

At that end of Minor Canon Row, the shadow is 
profound in the existing state of the Hght ; at that 
end too there is a piece of old dwarf wall ^ breast high, 
the only remaining boundary of what was once a garden 
but is now the thoroughfare. Jasper and Durdles 
would have turned this wall in another instant, but 
stopping so, short, stand behind it. 

" These two are only sauntering," Jasper whispers, 
" they will go out into the moonlight soon. Let us 
keep quiet here or they will detain us or want to join 
us, or what not." 

Durdles nods assent and falls to munching some 
fragments from his bundle. Jasper folds his arms upon 
the top of the wall and with his chin resting on them, 
watches Neville as though his eye were at the trigger ' 
of a loaded rifle, and he had covered him and were going 
to fire. A sense of destructive power is so expressed in 
his face that even Durdles pauses in his munching and 
looks at him with an unmunched something in his cheek. 

Meanwhile Mr. Crisparkle and Neville walk to and 
fro quietly talking together. What they say ^ cannot 

6 A piece of old dwarf wall. Some such piece of wall is shewn on 
a large scale plan by Mr. St. John Hope, which the writer has seen in 
the British Museum. This is the wall from behind which Jasper watches 
the final parting between Neville and Edwin. It is at the east end of 
Minor Canon Row and is indicated by a small black spot upon the plan. 
{See Episode I). '■< 

7 Eye . . at the trigger. We small fry like to catch the giants 
tripping ! Compare with this Rosa's " dark bright pouting eye " in 
Chapter III. 

8 What they say. Crisparkle is telling Neville about his interview 
with Jasper three days before and of the letter from Edwin just received, 
Neville feels himself morally bound to go to the dinner, bearing in 
mind his pledge and Mr. Crisparkle's reminder " Remember that I 
said I answered for you confidently." He agrees to go. 



34 THE MURDER OF 

be heard consecutively, but Mr. Jasper has already 
distinguished his own name more than once. 

" This is the first day of the week," Mr. Crisparkle 
can be distinctly heard to observe as they turn back 
" and the last day of the week is Christmas Eve." 

" You may be certain of me, Sir." 

The echoes were favourable at those points and 
Jasper knows from Neville's own lips that Neville can 
be counted on ; that, however unwillingly, he will 
come to the Gatehouse dinner. The pair slowly disappear, 
passing out into the moonlight at the other end of Minor 
Canon Row.^ It is not until they are gone that Mr. 
Jasper moves, but then he turns to Durdles and bursts 
into a fit of laughter. 

Before descending into the crypt by the small 
north door ^^ of which Durdles has the key, Jasper 
scrutinizes the whole expanse of moonlit churchyard 
in his view, and finds it utterly deserted. One might 
fancy that the tide of life was stemmed by his own 
Gatehouse. The murmur of the tide is heard beyond ; but 
no wave passes the archway over which his lamp burns 
red " behind the curtain, as if the building were a Light- 
house. Even in moonlight the churchyard is deserted. 

9 The other end of Minor Canon Row. The pair must have gone 
through the Prior's gate else they would meet Durdles and Jasper 
later on their journey. The site of the Prior's gate is shewn upon the 
plan and in Kitton's drawing of it (see the frontispiece), in which the 
chimneys of Mr. Crisparkle's house are seen beyond. 

10 North Door. The crypt must have been entered from the North 
side or Jasper's gatehouse would not have been in view. The point 
is of some importance since Durdles' yard is on the north. 

11 Lamp Burns Red. Jasper is in the habit of leaving his lamp 
burning although he is out. It is also burning at midnight on Christmas 
Eve. 



EDWIN DROOD 35 

They enter, locking themselves in, descend the 
rugged steps and are down in the Crypt. The taci- 
turnity of Durdles is for the time overcome by the 
contents of Jasper's wicker bottle ^^ of which he partakes 
freely while Jasper only rinses his mouth once and casts 
forth the rinsing. So Durdles talks as up and down the 
lanes of light they walk some little while. They are to 
ascend the Great Tower. On the steps by which they 
rise to the Cathedral, Durdles pauses and seats himself 
upon a step. Mr. Jasper seats himself upon another. 
The odour from the wicker bottle (which has somehow 
passed into Durdles keeping) soon intimates that the 
cork has been taken out. Durdles drinks and drinks 
and finds it good. He tells his story of his last Christmas 
Eve, and the ghostly cries ^^ he heard and provokes a 
fierce retort from Jasper who adds " Come we shall 
freeze here ; lead the way." Durdles complies not 
over steadily, and seems unconscious of the close scrutiny 
of Jasper ^^ while fumbling among his pockets for a key 
confided to him ^^ that will open an iron gate and so 
enable them to pass to the staircase of the Great Tower. 



12 Wicker Bottle. The contents were " bought on purpose " to 
make Durdles sleep, whether drugged or merely extra strong who can say ? 

13 Ghostly Cries. What is the " ghost " of a sound ? Can it be 
the " shadow " cast by a sound not yet uttered on the ghostly 
anniversary before its utterance ? The idea recalls the words that 
Thomas Campbell found himself repeating as he awoke out of sleep 
" Coming events cast their shadows before." Anyhow Jasper finds 
the story a little " creepy " in the chilling crypt. 

14 The close scrutiny of Jasper. Jasper watches the influence 
of the drink on Durdles minutely in order so to time their travels that 
Diurdles shall be overcome when they reach the crypt and when the 
moon is wholly off the churchyard. 

^^ See next page. 



36 THE MURDER OF 

" That and the bottle are enough for you to carry," 
says Jasper, giving the key to Durdles, " hand your 
bundle to me." Durdles hesitates for a moment be- 
ween bundle and bottle ; but gives the preference to 
the bottle, and by this simple stratagem, Jasper secures 
the bundle and the key tied up in it. 

Then they go up the winding staircase of the great 
tower, and at last they look down on Rochester fair 
to see in the moonlight ; its ruined habitations and 
sanctuaries of the dead at the tower's base. Jasper 
(always moving softly with no visible reason) contem- 
plates especially that stillest part which the Cathedral 
overshadows. ^^ But he contemplates Durdles quite 
as curiously, and Durdles is by times conscious of his 
watchful eyes. Only by times because Durdles is getting 
drowsy. On his way down he charges himself with more 
liquid from the wicker bottle. Durdles who is as seldom 
drunk as sober is drugged with drink to-night, and 
when they reach the crypt he half drops, half throws 
himself down by one of the heavy pillars and is asleep 
at once, and in his sleep he dreams a dream. i^ He 

15 Key confided to him. Perhaps the Dean's permission was 
necessary for Jasper to have this key whence sprang the eariier con- 
versation witla that functionary. Durdles must have been very 
fuddled not to notice the absurdity of being handed a key to lighten 
his load ! It is not that key that Jasper needs, but the one tied up in 
Durdles' bundle which he secures by this very simple stratagem without 
Durdles being aware he has ever parted with it. 

16 Which the Cathedral overshadows. At this hour this will be the 
west and north-west — in other words a portion of the churchyard 
It should be noted that the Cathedral is not correctly orientated. 

1'' He dreams a dream. The dream is his subconscious realisa- 
tion of what is actually occurring, not a dream unrelated to immediate 
occurrences. 




- > 



[To face page 37. 



EDWIN DROOD 37 

dreams of lying there asleep and yet counting his com- 
panion's footsteps as he walks to and fro. He dreams 
that the footsteps die away into distance of time and 
space. Actually what takes place meanwhile is this ; 
Jasper at first walks to and fro with heavy tread. Then 
hushing his footsteps, softly tip toe, Jasper comes close 
to Durdles. Durdles dreams that something touches 
him, and that something falls from his hand. Then 
something clinks and gropes about. Actually Jasper 
touches him and the Crypt key falls from his hand, and 
Jasper gropes about and picks it up. He dreams that 
he is alone for so long a time that the lanes of light 
take new directions as the moon advances in her course.i^ 
Actually he is alone this long while. Jasper is gone 
from the Crypt taking lantern and keys and letting him- 
self out by the same North door by which they entered. 
Emerging into the Churchyard, it is no longer 
moonlit. The southing of the moon has cast the heavy 
shadow of the nave over the whole expanse of burial 
ground and churchyard. All is dark and deserted. 
Still moving softly but quickly, Jasper visits first the 
Sapsea tomb, opens it with Durdles' key and leaves the 
lantern within. Then closes but does not lock the door. 
Next he hastens with noiseless footsteps along the path 
which leads from the graveyard eastwards, passing 
beneath an archway and keeping within the shadows 
cast by the Cathedral until he reaches an angle in the 

18 The moon advances in her course. The southing of the moon 
took place that night a little after one o'clock (1-7 to be precise). The 
lanes of light would be changing their angle all the time. But the 
most noticeable change came when they fell through the south windows 
of the crypt in place of through the north. 



38 THE MURDER OF 

wall from the far side of which Durdles' unfinished 
dwelling overlooks the Churchyard precincts. The wall 
is low and not difficult to pass. Once across it Jasper 
finds a spade ^^ in Durdles' yard, and making several 
journeys, carries sufficient quick lime for his purpose 
and heaps it in the churchyard — where ? In Mrs. 
Sapsea's tomb.^o When Jasper has collected sufficient 
lime within it, and is satisfied that he has not been 
observed, he unlocks the Drood sarcophagus with a key 
in his possession and transfers the lime to it. Also 
the lantern which (having closed the door) he hghts. 
By its aid and by sounding with the handle of the spade 
he finds a hollow portion of the wall, and by removing 
a few bricks soon discloses a cavity ^ large enough to 
house a body. Into the cavity he drops some quick- 
lime and arranges the bricks where he can easily get 
at them to put them back. The Hme not yet required is 
heaped at the further end of the tomb away from the 

19 A spade. On the cover note the crossed spade and key above 
the bundle. 

20 Mrs. Sapsea's tomb. It seems incredible to the writer that this 
tomb had no important part to play after the trouble Jasper is made 
to take to secure the key to it. At the same time one recoils trom the 
idea that Edwin is buried in a stranger's monument. Also the key 
was returned the same night to Durdles' bundle, and there is no hint 
given that an impression was taken of it or that it was borrowed on 
Christmas Eve. We are led, therefore, to the conclusion that the im- 
portant use made of the tomb was as a half-way-house for the imple- 
ments required. The advantage was that had they been tound there 
by some mischance while the preparations were being made, there was 
nothing to connect them with Jasper. In Drcd's sarcophagus this 
was not the case. 

21 A C'lvity. As already stated this cavity is somewhat hypo- 
thetical (See Note in Episode I). The cavity mentioned by Durdles 
was not in Mrs. Sapsea's tomb. " Say Mrs. Sapsea. Her wall's 
thicker, but say Mrs. Sapsea." 



EDWIN DROOD 39 

door. The spade stands in the corner. All is now 
prepared. Jasper puts out the light and leaves the 
place, locking the door behind him. The Sapsea outer 
door he had already locked before entering the Drood 
sarcophagus. 

Still in the shadow, he takes the lantern back to 
the Crypt, lets himself in by the same door that let him 
out, finds Durdles still asleep and puts the crypt key 
by his hand, ties the Sapsea key up in the bundle and 
wakens Durdles by walking up and down noisily beating 
his hands and stamping his feet. Durdles, his dream now 
over, awakes to a perception of the lanes of light really 
changed much as he had dreamed. He asks the time. 
" Hark ! the bells are going in the Tower." 
" Two ! " cries Durdles, scrambling up. " Why 
did'nt you try to wake me Mr. Jasper ? " "I did. 
I might as well have tried to wake the dead." " Did 
you touch me ? " " Touch you ! Yes, shook you." 
As Durdles recalls that touching something in his 
dream, he looks down on the pavement, and sees the 
key of the crypt door lying close to where he himself lay. 
" I dropped you, did I ? he says, picking it up and re- 
calling that part of his dream. He is again conscious 
of being watched by his companion.22 " Well," says 
Jasper smiling " are you quite ready ? Pray don't 
hurry." "Let me get my bundle right, Mister Jarsper, 
and I'm with you." 

22 Watched by his Companion. It is no longer Durdles' state of 
intoxication that Jasper watches, but his state of comprehension. 
How much has he noticed ? Does he suspect anything ? Durdles 
reverses the position when he asks of what Jasper suspects him ? 



40 THE MURDER OF 

As he ties it afresh he is once more conscious that 
he is very narrowly observed. " What do you suspect 
me of Mister Jarsper," he asks ? " I've no suspicions 
of you my good Mr. Durdles, but I have suspicions that 
my bottle was filled with something stiffer than either 
of us supposed. And I also have suspicions that its 
empty." Durdles condescends to laugh at this. Con- 
tinuing to chuckle he rolls to the door and unlocks it. 
They both pass out and Durdles relocks it and pockets 
the key. " A thousand thanks for a curious and in- 
teresting night " says Jasper, " you can make your own 
way home ? " Each is turning his own way when 
Deputy appears. 

" What ! is that baby devil on the watch 23 there ! " 
cries Jasper and rushes at him, collars him and tries 
to bring him across. " Don't hurt the boy, Mister 
Jarsper," urges Durdles. " Recollect yourself." " He 
followed us to-night when we first came here." " Yer 
lie, I didn't," rephes Deputy, in his only form of polite 
contradiction. " He has been prowling near us ever 
since ! " " Yer lie, I haven't " returns Deputy. " I'd 
only just come out for my 'elth when I see you two a 
coming out of the Kinfreederel." " Take him home, 
then " retorts Jasper ferociously, though with a strong 
check upon himself. They depart. Deputy stoning 
Durdles home. 

23 On the Watch. Jasper in his fear and fury lets us see just what 
he dreads. " He followed us when <ve first came here. He has been 
prowling near us ever since. He has seen all I have done to-night." 
His relief at Deputy's lie " I'd only just come out," is intense. Deputy 
had really seen something but not much. Probably he had seen Jasper 
enter the Crypt alone after i a.m. The manuscript note in " Plans," 
is " Keep the boy suspended." 



EDWIN DROOD 

_^^ 41 

Jasper goes to his Gatehouse brooding. And thus 
the unaccountable expedition comes to an end for the 
time being. 



EPISODE IV. 
THE ENGAGED COUPLE. 



44 THE MURDER OF 



EPISODE IV. 
THE ENGAGED COUPLE. 

ROSA Bud, at the opening of the story, was a young 
and pretty Httle creature very Hke her mother 
had been. She was an orphan, both her parents 
having died before she was seven years old. Her 
mother was drowned at a party of pleasure on the river 
and her father died of grief on the first anniversary of 
that hard day. She had no other relative that she 
knew of in the world. Rosa's guardian, Mr. Grewgious, 
was not a relative, but had been her father's friend for 
many years. 

Rosa was engaged to marry Edwin Drood as every- 
one in chattering Cloisterham knew. Their two fathers 
had been fast friends and old college companions and the 
betrothal of Rosa by anticipation to Drood's son grew 
out of Drood's soothing of Bud's year of mental distress. 
When first they plighted their troth to one another, 
Rosa's father had given her mother a ring — a rose of 
diamonds and rubies delicately set in gold. This ring 
he took from her dead finger in Grewgious' presence and 
when his own death drew near he placed it in Grewgious' 
hands upon this trust — that Edwin and Rosa growing to 
manhood and womanhood and being betrothed and their 
betrothal prospering and coming to maturity, Grewgious 
should give the ring to Edwin to place upon Rosa's 
finger to seal their compact. 



EDWIN DROOD 45 

The marriage was fixed for the month of May in 
1843, when Edwin would be of age. His father (now 
buried at Rochester) had been a partner in a firm of 
Engineers operating in Egypt, and on coming of age 
Edwin would attain an interest in the partnership. 
Until then he was a charge upon the firm, and his 
maternal uncle Jasper was his guardian and trustee. 

This betrothal of the two friends' children to one 
another by their fathers, was a wish, a sentiment, a 
friendly project tenderly expressed upon both sides. 
It was nothing more. There was to be no forfeiture of 
property on either side if it did not lead to marriage. 
But the pair, when they were both children began to 
be accustomed to it, and grew up accustomed to it, 
and so had come to be, as they were when the story 
opens, an engaged couple. 

But though resigned to their situation, Rosa and 
Edwin were not happy in it, each felt the irksomeness 
of not being free to choose in such a matter. Rosa 
found it absurd to be an engaged orphan and to have the 
girls and the servants scuttling about after her like 
mice in the wainscot when her affianced husband came 
to call on her — for even the young ladies at the Nun's 
house had it pat that a husband had been chosen for 
Rosa by will and bequest. And Edwin found it 
irritating to be so dictated to by dead and gone parents, 
and to have everyone in chattering old Cloisterham 
referring to it. "I wonder no public house has been set 
up with my portrait for the sign of ' the Betrothed's 
Head,' or ' Pussy's Portrait.' One or the other," he 
says in pique. 



46 THE MURDER OF 

Yet Edwin would have drifted into cheir wedding 
day without a pause for real thought loosely trusting that 
all would go well left alone — would have done so but for 
Rosa and the ring. 

The ring of diamonds and rubies held on trust to 
be the engagement ring of Edwin and Rosa was kept 
by Mr. Grewgious locked in an escritoire in his chambers 
in Staple Inn. His intention had been to take it down 
to Rochester with him on his promised visit to Rosa at 
Christmas, and then to give it to Edwin to place upon her 
finger. But Edwin happened to visit Grewgious in his 
chambers before journeying down to Rochester (where 
he was to make the final irrevocable preparations for 
his marriage), and on this visit to Mr. Grewgious he 
shewed such coolness, lassitude, doubt, indifference, 
disclosed a state of mind half smoke, half fire, and so 
unlike that Mr. Grewgious looked for in a true lover, 
that Grewgious decided to fulfil his trust by handing the 
ring to Edwin then and there in the presence of Bazzard, 
his clerk, as witness, and to make the solemnity the 
occasion of this appeal to Edwin : " Your placing it on 
her finger," giving him the ring, " will be the solemn seal 
upon your strict fidelity to the living and the dead. 
If anything should be amiss, if anything should be even 
slightly wrong between you, if you should have any secret 
consciousness that you are committing yourself to this 
step for no higher reason than because you have long 
been accustomed to look forward to it ; then I charge 
you once more by the living and the dead to bring that 
ring back to me." 

That serious putting him on his trust to the living 



EDWIN DROOD 47 

and the dead, brought Edwin to a check. He must 
either give the ring to Rosa or he must take it back. 
" I will be guided by what she says and by how we get 
on " was his decision. 

Rosa, meanwhile, on her side, had long been thinking 
about abandoning their intended relations and had at 
last summoned up the courage to make the suggestion. 

" Eddy, let us be courageous. Let us change to 
brother and sister from this day forth." " Never be 
husband and wife ? " " Never ! you are not truly 
happy in our engagement. I am not truly happy in it. 
If we knew yesterday, and we did know yesterday and 
on many, many yesterdays that we were far from right to- 
gether in these relations which were not of our own choos- 
ing, what better could we do to-day than change them ? " 

Her full heart breaking into tears he puts his arm 
about her waist and they walk by the river side together. 
She tells of Grewgious' visit to her and he of his to 
Grewgious. The ring ! His right hand was in his 
breast seeking the ring ; but he checked it as he thought 
"If I am to take it back, why should I tell her of it ? 
Let them be, let them lie unspoken of in his breast." 

Among the mighty store of wonderful chains that 
are for ever forging day and night in the vast ironworks 
of time and circumstance, there was one chain forged 
in the moment of that small conclusion 1 riveted to the 

1 The Small Conclusion. " All discovery of the murderer was to 
be bafHed till towards the close when by means of a gold ring which had 
resisted the corrosive effects of the lime into which he had thrown the 
body, not only the person murdered was to be identified, but the 
locaUty of the crime, and the man who committed it." Forster, Life 
of Charles Dickens. 



48 THE MURDER OF 

foundation of heaven and earth and gifted with in- 
vincible force to hold and drag. They kissed each other 
fervently. 

God bless you dear, goodbye ! 

God bless you dear, goodbye ! 2 

2 Goodbye. Though they thought themselves to be parting as 
lovers only, this was really a final goodbye. Compare with it the 
passage in which Edwin takes leave of Rochester and the following 
extract from Martin Chuzzlewit. " It may be that the evening 
whispered to his conscience, or it may be (as it has been) that a shadowy 
veil was dropping round him closing out all thoughts but the presenti- 
ment and vague foreknowledge of impending doom. If there be fluids, 
as we know there are, which conscious of a coming wind or rain or frost, 
will shrink and strive to hide themselves in their glass arteries ; may 
not that subtle liquor of the blood perceive by properties within itself 
that hands are raised to waste and spill it ; and in the veins of men 
run cold and dull as his did in that hour ? " 



EDWIN DROOD ^9 



EPISODE V. 
THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. 



50 THE MURDER OF 



EPISODE V. 
THE GREEN-EYED MONSTER. 

{a) Jasper Warns Edwin. 

TAKE it as a warning then." In the act of having 
his hands released and of moving a step back 
Edwin pauses for an instant to consider the 
application of these last words. The instant over, he 
says " The disinterestedness of your painfully laying 
your inner self bare as a warning to me," Mr. Jasper's 
steadiness of face and figure becomes so marvellous that 
his breathing seems to have stopped, " I really was not 
prepared for, as I may say, your sacrificing yourself 
to me in that way." Mr. Jasper becomes a breathing 
man again, shrugs his shoulders, laughs " you won't 
be warned then ? " " No, Jack." " You can't be 
warned then ? " " No, Jack." Mr. Jasper dissolves 
his attitude and they both go out together. 

What is it all about ? What does it mean ? Jasper 
has had an attack after his opium bout. He has reposed 
in Edwin the confidence that he takes opium for a pain 
— an agony and is troubled with some stray sort of 
ambition, aspiration, restlessness, dissatisfaction. 

" No wretched monk who droned his life away in 
that gloomy place before me can have been more tired 
of it than I am. He could take for relief (and did take) 
to carving demons out of the stalls and seats and desks. 



EDWIN DROOD 51 



What shall I do ? Must I take to carving them out of 
my heart ? " 

Jasper bids Edwin remember his state of mind and 
heart, and take it as a warning. In the act of moving a 
step back, Edwin pauses for an instant to consider the 
application to himself of these last words. Jasper 
watches him, holding his breath at the very thought 
that Edwin is beginning to realise how he is threatened. 
The instant over " Your sacrificing yourself to me," 
says Edwin, and Jasper knows he has failed to under- 
stand the warning. Instantly Jasper becomes a breath- 
ing man again and shrugs his shoulders. He won't 
and can't be warned ! 

{b) Rosa's Confidence to Helena. 

" Who is Mr. Jasper ? You do not love him ? " 
" Ugh." " You know that he loves you ? " " Don't 
tell me of it. He terrifies me, he haunts my thoughts 
like a dreadful ghost. I feel as if he could pass in through 
the wall when he is spoken of. He has made a slave 
of me with his looks. He has forced me to understand 
him without his saying a word ; and he has forced me 
to keep silence without his uttering a threat. When 
I play he never moves his eyes from my hands. When I 
sing he never moves his eyes from my lips. When he 
plays a passage he himself is in the sounds whispering 
that he pursues me as a lover and commanding me to 
keep his secret. To-night when he watched my lips so 
closely as I was singing, besides feeling terrified I felt 
ashamed and passionately hurt. It was as if he kissed 
me and I couldn't bear it, but cried out. You must 



52 THE MURDER OF 

never breathe this to anyone. But you said to-night 
that you would not be afraid of him under any circums- 
tances and that gives me — who am so much afraid of 
him — courage to tell only you. Hold me ! Stay with 
me ! I am too frightened to be left by myself." 

(c) Neville's Outburst. 

" I have never yet had the courage to say to you, 
Sir, what in full openness I ought to have said when 
you first talked with me on this subject. It is not easy 
to say, and I have been withheld by a fear of its seeming 
ridiculous, which is very strong upon me down to this 
last moment, and might, but for my sister, prevent my 
being quite open with you even now — I admire Miss 
Bud,^ Sir, so very much, that I cannot bear her being 
treated with conceit or indifference ; and even if I did 
not feel that I had an injury against young Drood on 
my own account, I should feel that I had an injury 
against him on hers. I say that I love her and despise 
and hate him ! " 

{d) J.\SPER Misled. 

Plunged into a state of hopeless angularity by the 
spectacle of Miss Twinkleton's curtsey,^ suggestive of 
marvels happening to her respected legs, Mr. Grewgious 
got out of the presence how he could. As he held it 
incumbent upon him to call on Mr. Jasper before leaving 

1 / Admire Miss Bud. Manuscript " Plans " has " Xeville admires 
Rosa. That comes out from himself." 

2 Miss Twinkleton's Curtsey. This passage is a combination of the 
text and manuscript. 



EDWIN DROOD 53 

Rochester, he went to the Gatehouse, but Mr. Jasper's 
door being closed and presenting on a slip of paper the 
word " Cathedral," Mr. Grewgious forthwith repaired 
thither to find the choir coming out. Among the dirty 
linen ^ that was already being unbuttoned behind with 
all the expedition compatible with a feint of following 
the mace in procession round the corner was the robe 
of Mr. Jasper. He threw it to a boy who sadly wanted 
" getting up " by some laundress, and he and Mr. 
Grewgious walked out of the Cathedral talking as they 
went. " Nothing is the matter ? " Mr. Jasper began 
rather quickly. " You have not been sent for ? " 
" Not at all, not at all. I came down of my own accord. 
I have had it in my mind to come down this long time. 
But more off than on, I am ashamed to say." " Are 

you going to ? " "I have been to my pretty 

ward's and am now homeward bound again. I merely 
came to tell her seriously what a betrothal by deceased 
parents is — that it could not be considered binding 
against any such reason for its dissolution as a want of 
affection or want of disposition to carry it into effect." 
" Had you any special reason for telling her that ? " 
Mr. Grewgious shrugged his shoulders ^ as he answered 
somewhat sharply, " The special reason of resolving 
to do my duty. Sir. Simply that. I assure you that 
this implies not the least doubt of or disrespect to your 



3 The Dirty Linen. The passages " among the dirty linen " to 
" talking as they went," and " Have had it in my mind " to " When 
are you going to ! " and several minor alterations are here inserted 
from the manuscript. 

^Shrugged his Shoulders. Manuscript. 



54 THE MURDER OF 

nephew. Duty in the abstract must be done,^ even if 
it did, but it did not and it does not. I like your nephew 
very much. I hope you are satisfied ? " " Can I be 
less than satisfied ? " 

" I will wager," said Jasper smiling — his lips were 
still so white that he was conscious of it and bit and 
moistened them while speaking. " I will wager that 
she hinted no wish to be released from Ned ? " " And 
you will win your wager if you do, at least I suppose we 
should ^ allow some margin for little maidenly delicacies. 
What do you think ? " " There can be no doubt of it." 
" I am glad you say so because she seems to have some 
little delicate instinct that all prehminary arrangements 
had best be made between Mr. Edwin Drood and herself, 
don't you see ? She don't want us, don't you know ? " 
Jasper touched himself on the breast and said somewhat 
indistinctly " You mean me." Mr. Grewgious touched 
himself on the breast and said " I mean us." " There- 
fore," said Mr. Grewgious in a cosily arranging manner,' 
" let them have their little discussions and councils 
together when Mr. Edwin Drood comes here at Christmas, 
and then you and I will step in and put the final touches 
to the business." " So you settled with her that you 
would come back at that time " observed Jasper. 
" Eh ?" said the other expressionlessly innocent. But 

5 Duty . . . must he done. Manuscript. Jasper answers 
question with question because he is really the opposite of satisfied, 
but does not intend Mr. Grewgious to know it. He was hoping against 
hope that the pair would break off their engagement, hence his white- 
lipped anxiety. Grewgious' disclosure was a dire disappointment 
to him. 

^ At least I suppose we should. Manuscript. 

"^ In a cosily arranging manner. Manuscript. 



EDWIN DROOD 55 



not without adding internally " This is a very quick 
watch-dog ! " "So you settled with her that you would 
come back at Christmas " repeated Jasper. " At 
Christmas ? Certainly. Oh dear, yes. I settled with 
her that I would come back at Christmas," repHed Mr. 
Grewgious as if the question had previously lain between 
Lady Day, Midsummer Day, and Michaelmas. By 
this time, sometimes walking very slowly and sometimes 
standing still they had reached the Gatehouse. " Will 
you not walk up," said Jasper " and refresh ? " 
" Thank you, no. I have a horse and chaise here and 
have not too much time to get across and catch the new 
railroad over yonder." Jasper pressed his hand ^ and 
they parted. When they next met, on the evening of 
Tuesday, the 27th December ^ Edwin was dead. 

(e) Jasper Enlightened. 

Unkempt and disordered, bedaubed with mud that 
had dried upon him, and with much of his clothing torn 
to rags I*' Jasper had but just dropped into his easy chair 
when Mr. Grewgious stood before him. " This is strange 
news," said Mr. Grewgious, " strange and fearful news." 

^ Eh? . . Jasper pressed his hand. The whole of this passage 
is from the manuscript. " The new railroad over yonder," is the 
" remote fragment of main line," which passengers from Rochester 
joined at Maidstone Road. A horse and chaise to Strood or Rochester 
stations would be absurd ! {See Appendix II). 

9 Tuesday, 27th December. On Xmas day (Sunday) Neville was 
arrested. With the earliest light of the next morning men were at 
work upon the river until the next day dawned. All that day again 
the search went on, setting his watches for that night again Jasper 
went home exhausted. 

10 Clothing torn to Rags. Thus effectually hiding any traces there 
might have been of the murder or the lime. 



56 THE MURDER OF 

" I have a communication to make that will surprise 
you. At least it has surgrised me." Jasper with a 
groaning sigh turned wearily in his chair. " Shall I 
put it off till to-morrow ? " said Mr. Grewgious. " Mind 
I warn you that I think it will surprise you ! " More 
attention and concentration came into John Jasper's 
eyes as they caught sight of Mr. Grewgious smoothing 
his head again and again looking at the fire, but now with 
a compressed and determined mouth. " What is it ? " 
demanded Jasper becoming upright in his chair. " To 
be sure," said Mr. Grewgious provokingly slowly and 
internally as he kept his eyes on the fire. " I might 
have known it sooner ; she gave me the opening.!^ 
but I am such an exceedingly angular man, that it 
never occurred to me ; I took it all for granted." 
" WTiat is it ? " demanded Jasper once more. " This 
young couple, the lost youth and Miss Rosa, my ward, 
though so long betrothed, and so long recognising their 
betrothal, and so near being married," Mr. Grewgious 
saw a staring white face, and two quivering white lips 
in the easy chair, and saw two mudd}^ hands gripping 
its sides. But for the hands he might have thought 
he had never seen the face. " This young couple came 
gradually to the discovery (made on both sides pretty 
equally I think), that they would be happier and better, 
both in their present and their future lives, as affectionate 
friends, or say rather as brother and sister, than as hus- 
band and wife." Mr. Grewgious saw a lead-coloured 



11 She gave me the opening. " Rosa shook her head with an almost 
plaintive air of hesitation in want of help," Sec. 



EDWIN DROOD 57 



face in the easy chair, and on its surface dreadful starting 
drops or bubbles as if of steel. 

" This young couple formed at length the healthy 
resolution of interchanging their discoveries, openly, 
sensibly and tenderly. They met for that purpose. 
They agreed to dissolve their existing and their intended 
relations for ever and ever." Mr. Grewgious saw a 
ghastly figure rise open-mouthed from the easy chair 
and hft its outspread hands towards its head. " Your 
nephew, however, forbore to tell you the secret for a few 
days and left it to be discharged by me, when I should 
come down to speak to you, and he would be gone. I 
speak to you and he is gone." Mr. Grewgious saw the 
ghastly figure throw back its head, clutch its hair with 
its hands and turn with a writhing action from him. 
" I have said now all I have to say, except that this young 
couple parted firmly, though not without tears and 
sorrow on the evening when you last saw them together.12 
Mr. Grewgious heard a terrible shriek, and saw no 
ghastly figure sitting or standing ; saw nothing but a 
heap of torn and miry clothes upon the floor i^. 
(/) Crisparkle's Confidence. 

When John Jasper recovered from his fit or swoon 
he found himself being tended by Mr. and Mrs. Tope. 

12 When you last saw them together. " He saw us as we took leave 
of each other poor fellow ! he little thinks we have parted." 

13 A heap of torn and miry clothes upon the floor. " Mr. Grewgious 
took no pains to conceal his implacable dislike of Jasper, yet he never 
referred it however distantly to " any sort of suspicion that he had 
murdered Edwin. " But he was a reticent as well as an eccentric man ; 
and he made no mention of a certain evening when he warmed his 
hands at the Gatehouse fire and looked steadily down upon a certain 
heap of torn and miry clothes upon the floor." 



58 THE MURDER OF 

His visitor, wooden of aspect, sat stiffly in a chair, 
watching his recovery. " Do you know," said Jasper 
after a hurried meal and when he had sat meditating 
for a few minutes " do you know that I find some crumbs 
of comfort in the communication with which you have 
so much amazed me ? I begin to beheve it possible 
that he may have disappeared from among us of his own 
accord and may yet be alive and well." ^'^ Mr. Cris- 
parkle came in at the moment and Jasper repeated this 
to him. " I pray to Heaven it may turn out so," 
exclaimed Mr. Crisparkle. " Mr. Grewgious ought to 
be possessed of the whole case." Jasper went on 
" He shall not through any suppression of mine be 
informed of a part of it and kept in ignorance of another 
part of it, I wish him to be good enough to understand 
that the communication he has made to me has hope- 
fully influenced my mind in spite of its having been 
before this mysterious occurrence took place, profoundly 
impressed against young Landless." 

This fairness troubled the Minor Canon much. He felt 
that he was not as open in his own dealing. He charged 
against himself reproachfully that he had suppressed 
so far the two points of a second strong outbreak 
of temper against Edwin Drood on the part of Neville 
and of the passion of jealousy ^^ having to his own certain 
knowledge flamed up in Neville's breast against him. 

^^ May yet be Alive and Well. Dickens in manuscript " Plans" 
describes this as " Jasper's artful use of the communication on his 
recovery." It would suit Jasper equally well whether it was commonly 
supposed that Edwin had absconded or that he had been murdered 
by Neville. In either case suspicion would be diverted from himself. 

^^ See next page. 



EDWIN DROOD 59 

He had been balancing in his mind, much to its distress, 
whether his volunteering to tell these two fragments of 
truth at this time would not be tantamount to a piecing 
together of falsehood in the place of truth. However, 
here was a model before him. He hesitated no longer. 
Expressing his absolute confidence in the complete 
clearance of his pupil from the least taint of suspicion, 
sooner or later, he avowed that his confidence in that 
young gentleman had been formed in spite of his confiden- 
tial knowledge that his temper was of the hottest and 
fiercest, and that it was directly incensed against Mr. 
Jasper's nephew by the circumstance of his roman- 
tically supposing himself to be enamoured of the same 
young lady. The sanguine reaction manifest in Mr. 
Jasper was proof even against this unlooked for de- 
claration.16 It turned him paler ; but he repeated that 
he would cling to the hope he had derived from Mr. 
Grewgious, and that if no trace of his dear boy were 
found, leading to the dreadful inference that he had 
been made away with, he would cherish unto the last 

15 Neville's Jealousy. See above. Crisparkle's present can- 
dour to Jasper is thus traduced by Jasper to Rosa six months 
later on. " It was hawked through the late enquiries by Mr. Cris- 
parkle that Landless had confessed to him that he was a rival of my 
lost boy." 

16 This Unlooked for Declaration. Neville's love for Rosa was 
news to Jasper and news of dreadful import to each of them. 

Jasper made it thenceforth the one object of his wasted life to 
purge upon the gallows the inexpiable offence of Neville in loving Rosa. 
The disclosure turned Jasper pale and instantly induced a second rapid 
change of plan. Jasper could no longer support the absconding theory. 
He must stand out for murder at the hands of Neville. Hence his 
"sanguine reaction" is straight-way watered down and made de- 
pendent on the non-finding of any trace of Edwin. Steps are then 
taken by Jasper to secure that such traces shall be found. 



6o THE MURDER OF 



stretch of possibility the idea that he might have 
absconded of his own wild will. 

Now it fell out that Mr. Crisparkle going away from 
this conference still very uneasy in his mind took a 
memorable night walk." He walked to Cloisterham 
Weir. He often did so, and consequently there was 
nothing remarkable in his footsteps tending that way. 
But the preoccupation of his mind so hindered him from 
planning an}^ walk, or taking heed of the objects he 
passed that his first consciousness of being near the Weir 
was derived from the sound of the falling water close 
at hand. 

" How did I come here ? " was his first thought as 
he stopped. 

" WTiy did I come here ? " was his second. Then 
he stood intently listening to the water. A familiar 
passage in his reading about airy tongues that syllable 
men's names ^^ rose so unbidden to his ear that he put 
it from him with his hand as if it were tangible. It 
was starlight. The water came over the Weir with its 
usual sound on a cold starlight night, and little could be 

1' A Memorable Night Walk. This walk I believe to have been 
imposed upon Crisparkle by Jasper by " telepathy," " hypnotism," 
or " mesmerism " as in those days it would be called no doubt. 
The alternative theory is perhaps as likely that Jasper relied on Cris- 
parkle's known habit of bathing at Cloisterham Weir for ensuring the 
discovery of Edwin's watch and pin placed there by Jasper for the 
purpose of their being so discovered. The watch, it will be remembered 
had been wound at 2-20 p.m. on Xmas Eve and had run down when 
found in the water, Neville was arrested before mid-day on Christmas 
Day. Unless therefore the watch had an exceptionally short run, 
it could not have run down in his possession. If Jasper had it, as no 
doubt he had, he cannot have placed it in the water on the same night 
as the murder. 

1^ See next page. 



EDWIN DROOD 6i 

seen of it ; yet Mr. Crisparkle had a strange idea that 
something unusual hung about the place ! He reasoned 
with himself. What was it ? Where was it ? Put 
it to the proof. WTiich sense did it address ? No 
sense reported anything unusual there. Knowing very 
well that the mystery with which his mind was occupied 
might of itself give the place this haunted air, he strained 
those hawk's eyes of his for the correction of his sight. 
Nothing in the least unusual was remotely shadowed 
forth. But he resolved he would come back early in the 
morning. The Weir ran through his broken sleep all 
night and he was back again at sunrise. His eyes were 
attracted keenly to one spot. It struck him that at 
that 'Spot — a corner of the Weir — something glistened 
which did not move and come over with the glistening 
water drops but remained stationary. He plunged 
into the icy water and swam for the spot ; climbing 
the timbers he took from them caught among their 
interstices by its chain a gold watch, bearing engraved 
upon its back E.D.i^ He dived and dived and dived 
until he could bear the cold no more. His notion was 
that he would find the body ; he only found a shirt- 
pin sticking in some mud and ooze. 

^^ Airy tongues that syllable Men's Names. 
MILTON — " COMUS." 

" What might this be ? A thousand fantasies 
Begin to throng into my memory. 
Of calling shapes, and beck'ning shadows dire, 
And airy tongues that syllable men's names 
On sands and shores and desert wildernesses." 

1^ E.D. — If (as some suppose) the murder was hallucination how 
came this watch and pin to be where they were found ? 



EPISODE VI. 
MR. JASPER PROPOSES. 



64 THE MURDER OF 

EPISODE VI. 
MR. JASPER PROPOSES. 

MR. JASPER is a dark man of some six and 
twenty with thick lustrous well arranged black 
hair, and whiskers. He looks older than he is 
as dark men often do. His voice is deep and good, his 
face and figure are good but his manner is a little sombre. 

Lay Precentor, or Lay Clerk at Rochester Cathedral, 
he has the reputation of having done wonders with the 
choir there. He has the gift of teaching, and besides 
training the choir also acts as music master to the girls 
at the Nun's House School. Altogether he seems cut 
out for his vocation. But he hates it ! Unknown to 
others and unsuspected by Edwin even, he hates it 
all. Jasper has long been secretly and desperately in 
love with Rosa. Rosa, as we have seen, is bound 
to Edwin and daily drawing nearer marriage. Jasper 
has never spoken to Rosa about love. Never ! but he 
has made a slave of her with his looks. He has forced 
her to understand him without his saying a word. 

Jasper is an opium smoker. He took to opium when 
he could no longer bear his life ; his love and jealousy 
in the cramping monotony of his existence became a 
physical pain — an agony — which overcame him. He 
took to opium to get relief. He got it. He got it at a 
price. Carrying Rosa's image in his arms he wandered 
through paradises in visions ; carrying her image in 



EDWIN DROOD 65 

his arms he rushed in visions through Hells. From 
Paradise and Hell alike he woke to the distasteful work 
of the day, and to the wakeful misery of the night. 

Watching day by day the ill-matched pair — ^his 
nephew and his loved one — Jasper cherished to the last 
stretch of possibility the hope of their releasing one 
another and leaving his loved one to him. If not — 
and day by day the wretch's hope grew less as the 
arrangements for the marriage still went forward — 
if not Edwin must die. Jasper is resolved to kill him, 
and has his plans prepared. Finally he sees, or thinks 
he sees, the couple seal their parents' compact with a 
lover's kiss. That kiss has sealed the doom of Edwin 
who dies on Christmas Eve, strangled by Jasper secretly. 

Six months and more elapse after the murder before 
Jasper ventures to renew pursuit of Rosa. Then, calhng 
at the school and finding Rosa there alone, he forces her 
to come to him. Rosa chooses the open air, but even 
there he magnetises her. He stands leaning lightly 
on the sundial in the garden. She cannot resist his 
horrible complusion but sits down with bent head on 
the garden seat beside him. Both are in mourning. 
Jasper questions Rosa about her music lessons and her 
refusal to go on with them. She is angered and dechnes 
to be cross-questioned or to answer. His gloating 
admiration of the touch of anger on her, and of the fire 
and animation brought by it causes her rising spirit to 
fall again and she struggles with a sense of shame, 
affront and fear much as at his following of her lips 
when he was her music master. When she rises to go 
he makes her sit again by threatening her with harm 



66 THE MURDER OF 

to others if she does go. When he calls her " Dearest," 
" charming," " my beloved," she again starts up to go 
but his face is so wicked and menacing that her flight 
is arrested by horror as she looks at him. Frozen with 
fear she cannot flee him. 

So arrested, so compelled, Rosa listens to her first 
proposal. Jasper declares to her his mad unhoh* love. 

" Rosa, even when my dear boy was affianced to 
you I loved you madly, even when I strove to make him 
more ardently devoted to you, I loved you madly, even 
when he gave me the picture of your lovely face so 
carelessly traduced by him, which I feigned to hang 
always in my sight for his sake, but worshipped in tor- 
ment for years, I loved you madly ; I endured it all in 
silence. So long as you were his or so long as I supposed 
you to be his, I hid my secret loyally did I not ? " 
Jasper's lie so gross, while the mere words in which it 
is told are so true is more than Rosa can endure. She 
answers with kindling indignation, " you were as false 
throughout, sir, as you are now, you were false to him 
daily and hourly. You know that you made my life 
unhappy by your pursuit of me. You know that you 
made me afraid to open his generous eyes and that 
you forced me for his own trusting good, good sake to 
keep the truth from him that you were a bad, bad 
man." 

His preservation of his easy attitude rendering his 
working features and his convulsive hands absolutely 
diabolical, he returns with a fierce extreme of admiration. 
" How beautiful you are ! You are more beautiful 
in anger than in repose. I don't ask you for your love. 



EDWIN DROOD 67 

give me yourself and your hatred ; give me yourself 
and that enchanting scorn ; it will be enough for me." 

Impatient tears rise to the eyes of the trembling 
little beauty and her face flames. She rises to leave 
him in indignation. He detains her with a threat. 
" You care for your bosom friend's good name ; you 
care for her peace of mind, then remove the shadow of 
the gallows from her dear one ! " 

" You dare propose to me to ... " 

" Darling I dare propose to 5^ou. Stop there. If 
it be bad to idolize you I am the worst of men ; if it 
be good I am the best. My love for you is above all 
other love. My truth to you is above all other truth. 
Let me have hope and favour and I am a forsworn man 
for your sweet sake. So that you take me were it even 
mortaUy hating me. I love you, love you, love you. 
If you were to cast me off now — but you will not ! You 
would never be rid of me ; no one should come between 
us. I would pursue you to the death ! " 

The handmaid coming out to open the gate for him, 
he quietly pulls off his hat as a parting salute and goes 
away with no greater show of agitation than is visible 
in the efhgy of Mr. Sapsea's father opposite. Rosa 
faints in going upstairs. 



^ 



EPISODE VII. 
ON SECRET SERVICE. 



70 THE MURDER OF 



EPISODE VIL 
ON SECRET SERVICE. 

AT about this time — on Wednesday, July 5th to be 
precise — a stranger appeared in Rochester, 
Dick Datchery was the name he went by in that 
picturesque old city, Tartar was his name in London. 
Yesterday he was up the river with Rosa, Grewgious and 
Lobley in a row-boat. To-day he has come down the 
Thames in his yacht with Lobley from Greenhithe to 
Gravesend. Thence he has travelled on alone by road 
to Rochester where he now announces his intention of 
taking a lodging for a month or two with a view of 
settling down there altogether. Meanwhile, Rosa pines 
in Bloomsbury waiting for something that will not come, 
that never comes ! " Until as the days crept on and 
nothing happened the neighbours began to say that the 
pretty girl at Billickin's who looked so wistfully and so 
much out of the windows of the drawing room seemed 
to be losing her spirits. "^ Why this base desertion ? 
What had happened ? 

To understand the situation, we must retrace our 
steps as far as the Midsummer Recess at the Nun's House. 
Not so far in time as in occurrences. That was last 

1 Losing Her Spirits. Let any reader who still doubts that it was 
for Tartar that Rosa was waiting and pining at Billickin's consider 
this passage : — 

" The pretty girl might have lost her spirits but for the accident 
of lighting on some books of voyages and sea adventures. As a 
compensation against their romance Miss Twinkleton made the most of 
all the .... statistics; while Rosa listening intently made the most 
of what was nearest to her heart. So they both did better than before." 



EDWIN DROOD 71 

Monday, and to-day is only Wednesday. Then the 
High Street was musical with the cry in various silvery 
voices, "Goodbye, Rosebud darling! " and among the 
departing coaches carrying the young ladies to their 
several homes was one which carried Helena to attend 
her brother's fortunes in Staple Inn. Rosa remains and 
the same afternoon finds her alone, Mrs. Tisher being 
absent on leave and Miss Twinkleton having contributed 
herself and a veal pie to a picnic. Jasper calls, declares 
his mad love and announces his threat to Helena's peace 
of mind and to the life of Neville. Rosa the same night, 
flees to Grewgious and tells him all. Grewgious hears 
her story understandingly and begs to be told a second 
time those parts which bear on Helena and Neville. 
Next day, Tuesday, Tartar and Rosa meet and fall in 
love. " Poor, poor Neville ! " Helena divines the 
facts and seems to compassionate somebody. " My 
poor Neville." But Rosa's tale of Jasper's threatenings 
requires attention. " Would it be best," Helena won- 
ders "to wait until any more maligning and pursuing of 
Neville on the part of this wretch shall disclose itself 
or to try and anticipate it so far as to find out whether 
any such goes on darkly about them in Staple Inn ? 
Neville has not so much as exchanged a word with anyone 
but Mr. Tartar there. Now if Mr. Tartar would caU to 
see him openly and often ; if he would spare a minute 
for the purpose frequently ; if he would even do so 
almost daily; something might come of it. 2" 

2 " Something might come of it." No wonder Rosa is perplexed. 
Helena's plan was nearly as nebulous as that " something " which 
Mr. Micawber was expecting to turn up. 



72 THE MURDER OF 

" Something might come of it, dear ? " repeated 
Rosa with a highly perplexed face. " Something 
might ? " 

" If Neville's movements are really watched and 
if the purpose really is to isolate him from all friends 
and acquaintances and wear his daily Ufe out grain by 
grain (which would seem to be the threat ^ to you) 
does it not appear likely * that his enemy would in some 
way communicate with Mr. Tartar to warn him off from 
Neville ? " 

" I see," cries Rosa, and Mr. Tartar at once de- 
clares his readiness to act and to enter on his task that 
very day. What then is Mr. Tartar doing at Rochester 
the very next day. What of his promise ? What of 
Helena's hope to hear of Rosebud from Mr. Tartar ? 
No wonder Rosa is like to lose her spirits looking and 
waiting in vain for the sailor to call at Billickin's. 

But we have, forgotten Grewgious. He was no 
party to Helena's suggested plan ^ of action. He was no 
party to Helena's misunderstanding of what was 
threatened. He had Rosa's narration clearly put away 
and knew that " the gallows " was the threat to Neville 
not " isolation." The peace of mind to be disturbed 
was Helena's not Neville's. Mr. Grewgious held 

3 " Which would seem to be the threat." Helena had not understood. 
Perhaps Rosa had toned down to her the threat of " the shadow of the 
gallows," for her dear one. Mr. Grewgious on the other hand, per- 
fectly understood what Jasper threatened. 

^ " Docs it not appear likely." Yes, if the hypothesis be granted ; 
but if the hypothesis was mistaken the inference loses its foundation. 

6 Grewgious no party to Helena's plan. He was specially consulted 
about the desirability of taking action and agreed, but was markedly 
not consulted about the particular action suggested. 



EDWIN DROOD 73 

decidedly to the general principle that if you could steal 
a march upon a brigand or a wild beast you had better 
do it ; and he also held decidedly to the special case 
that John Jasper was a brigand and a wild beast in 
combination. But he never endorsed Helena's plan. 
He had a plan of his own as he had told them. Jasper 
hoped by watching Neville in Staple Inn so to accumulate 
circumstances against him, so to direct, sharpen and point 
them that they might slay him. Why not turn his 
weapon against himself and thus steal a march upon him ? 
By perseverance the missing link, the wanting clue which 
would prove his guilt might be discovered and the shadow 
of the gallows be shifted to him and the burden of unjust 
suspicion be removed for ever from young Landless. 
Why not set a watch on Jasper at Rochester, the counter- 
part of the watch he keeps on Neville here in Staple ? 
If so, what better watchman than this young sailor, 
Tartar, so keen on Rosa and unknown or scarcely known 
to Jasper ? But will he undertake the task ? Mr. 
Grewgious will put it to him. 

Rosa is safely tucked in bed at Furnivals and 
dreaming of the everlastingly green garden and the 
beanstalk country and the Admiral's cabin — and perhaps 
the Admiral. The lieutenant, meanwhile, is seated in 
Grewgious' chair in Grewgious' chambers being fully 
confided in by Mr. Grewgious. 

Mr. Crisparkle, able now to reassure the anxious 
Miss Twinkleton and to arrange for her to join Rosa 
at Billickins' on Thursday, has returned to Rochester. 
His short summary to Tartar of the distresses of Neville 
and his sister has paved the way for the fuller and more 



74 THE MURDER OF 

particular account of the whole mysterious story which 
Grewgious is now in course of giving Tartar. Bazzard 
is not about.^ It is night time and long past office hours. 
Tartar has been told already of Edwin's relations to 
Rosa and to Jasper and of his mysterious disappearance 
last Christmas. He now learns from Grewgious of 
Jasper's pursuit of Rosa as a lover. Anger springs up 
in Tartar. " Yesterday," continues Grewgious, " the 
scoundrel dared openly to propose to her," and he joins 
to this a lucid and precise account to Tartar of the 
exact terms in which Jasper had dared to threaten and 
propose to Rosa. " Damn him, how dare he ! " No 
question now if Tartar will help unmask him ! The 
villain ! To force his horrid shameless love on that 
young, innocent, unprotected lady ! Damn him again ! 
And now to plans for her protection and the disclosure 
of his villainy. The man takes opium. So much 
Grewgious knows from Rosa who got it from Edwin. 
Tick that off. He had ample motive for murder in his 
raging jealousy fed by the parting kiss he saw and mis- 
interpreted. Tick that off. Jealousy of a new rival — 
Neville — has urged him on to six months' silent labour 
in the effort to bring the latter to the gallows and burning 
jealousy still spurs him on. But we may doubt if pru- 
dent Mr. Grewgious told this to Tartar just yet. Suffi- 
cient for Lieutenant Tartar that Jasper is bent on 
fabricating evidence which shall bring Neville to trial 
and conviction. He must be watched and his plan 



6 Bazzard is not about. He is " off duty there altogether just at 
present " it will be remembered. 



EDWIN DROOD 75 

prevented. Will Lieutenant Tartar undertake the task ? 
His yacht down Greenhithe way might be taken round 
to Gravesend and Lieutenant Tartar might appear at 
Rochester a stranger. Some slight disguise — a wig for 
instance — would be advisable on the off chance of Jasper 
having noticed him in Staple. 

Tartar hesitates an instant. The plan will mean 
indeterminate exile from Miss Rosa ! He can hardly 
bring that reason before her guardian just at present, 
however. After all, he only met his love this morning 
as time goes on this planet ! His promise to visit Neville 
daily is urged in explanation of his slowness to respond, 
by which, as he sees, Grewgious is puzzled and dis- 
appointed. But for that, he tells him, he would jump 
at any sort of opportunity to serve Miss Rosa and the 
others. Grewgious is relieved. " If that is all," he 
will undertake to obtain absolution from the promise 
and plausibly to explain Tartar's absence to the Land- 
lesses — " Miss Rosa too ? " suggests the sailor. " I 
think it wisest that she shall know nothing of this as 
yet," says Mr. Grewgious, " but if she asks after you, 
as no doubt she will, I will explain to her that you are 
absent on her service." With that poor consolation 
Tartar must be content. 

So now we know how it comes about that Rosa 
pines and peaks in gritty London, and Tartar in his wig 
and pseudonym of Datchery takes lodgings at the Topes, 
in Rochester and lounges about the Precincts like the 
chartered bore of the city. 

In a detective the bold step is the wise one. He 
confronts Jasper in his own room face to face at once. 



76 THE MURDER OF 

and so he gets to know and be known by him. He also 
gets to know the Mayor and to be well established with 
him. As a cat watches a mouse hole so he takes his 
post with open door and watches Jasper's postern 
entrance opposite. He misses no opportunity of getting 
to know the lowly local characters. Deputy and he 
are " Winks " and " Dick," and Durdles is open to 
seeing him any evening if he brings liquor for two with 
him. So things are going famously when another 
stranger appears in Rochester. She turns in under the 
archway just after Jasper has arrived there and gone 
up his postern staircase. Tartar seeing her brought to 
a standstill asks whom she is looking for ? "A gentle- 
man in mourning 'who passed in there this minute," is 
her answer. So she wants Jasper does she ? What 
can her business be with him ? Told his dwelling and his 
name she does not go to see him, but asks his calling. 
She seems to want to see and hear him singing in the 
choir. Odd that ! WTiere does she come from ? 
Jasper and the others have just come back from town. 
Is she from London too ? She does not answer that. 
Is she after money ? Tartar rattles the loose money in 
his trouser pockets. Yes, she asks for money to pay 
for her traveller's lodging — where Winks is servant. 
She knows that place then. Has she been here often ? 
Once in all her life she says. What's that ? Opium ! 
The plot begins to thicken. She seeks Jasper who takes 
opium and she takes opium. More to follow. The 
last time she was here was Christmas Eve when a young 

' " In Mo'urning." Manuscript. 



EDWIN DROOD 77 

gentleman gave her three and sixpence and the young 
gentleman's name was Edwin and she asked him if he 
had a sweetheart and he said he hadn't. Phew ! That 
must have been Edwin Drood after he had jilted Rosa ! « 
Tartar could get no more from her just then without 
asking dangerous questions so gives her the three and 
six she asked him for and lets her go her way. Little 
enough he has learned, and yet there is promise in it. 
Probably, however, she merely wants to sell Jasper 
more opium. But why see him at 7 o'clock in the 
Cathedral if that is all ? Anyhow Tartar will see if she 
really does go there and meantime he will get Winks 
to find out where she comes from — exactly where she 
lives. The knowledge may prove useful. John Jasper's 
lamp is kindled, and his lighthouse is shining when 
Tartar returns, alone, towards it. As mariners on a 
dangerous voyage approaching an iron-bound coast 
may look along the beams of the warning light to the 
haven lying beyond it that may never be reached so the 
sailor-detective's wistful gaze is directed to this beacon 
and beyond. Having fetched his hat Tartar goes out 
again and discovers Deputy or rather " Winks." Good ! 
Winks confirms that she is an opium smoker from Lon- 
don and is going to the " Kin-free-der-el," as Winks 
pronounces it, in the morning. " We are getting on ! " 
Still a moderate stroke Tartar concludes, is all that he 
is justified in scoring up as yet. 

Next morning, in the Cathedral, the service is pretty 

^ After he had jilted Rosa. This is scarcely fair to Edwin but we 
must bear in mind that Tartar never knew him and was himself in 
love with Edwin's rejected fiancee. 



78 THE MURDER OF 

well advanced, before Tartar can discern the opium 
woman. She is behind a pillar carefully withdrawn 
from Jasper's view, but regards him with the closest 
attention. All unconscious of her presence he chants 
and sings. She grins when he is most musically fervid 
and — yes, Tartar sees her do it ! — shakes her fist at him 
behind the pillar's friendly shelter. Tartar looks again 
to convince himself. Yes again ! She hugs herself 
in her lean arms and then shakes both fists at the leader 
of the choir. 

The service over Tartar accosts her outside the 
Cathedral. " Well, Mistress, Good-morning. You have 
seen him ? " "I've seen him deary ; I've seen him ! 
Know him ! Better far than all the Reverend Parsons 
put together know him." 

Before sitting down to his neat, clean breakfast, 
Tartar opens his corner cupboard door ; takes his bit 
of chalk from its shelf ; adds one thick Une to the score 
extending from the top of the cupboard door to the 
bottom ; and then falls to with an appetite. No won- 
der ! Patience and perseverance are bringing their 
reward. This woman knows Jasper for what he is. 
She hates him. He does not know it. She lives in 
London and has followed him down here. Jasper 
will return to her. That will give the sought for 
opportunity against him. With the woman as an ally, 
Tartar may be spectator of his opium ravings and learn 
his secrets from him. Good indeed ! 



EDWIN DROOD 79 



EPISODE VIII. 
LANDLESS PROPOSES. 



Ho. I.] 



APRIL, 1870. 



[Price One Shillin|^/ 




LONDON CHAPMAN & HALL, ly3, PICCADILLY 



Advertisemcata to be sent to the Publiahers, and ADAMS & FRANCIS, 59, Fleet Street, E.C 
[The right <^ Translution i> rtscrncdl 



EPISODE VIII. 
LANDLESS PROPOSES.i 

WHILST Tartar was away at Rochester 2 the days 
dragged very heavily with Rosa. The gritty 
state of things had few rehefs. London waited 
and waited always for someone who never came. 

To Neville, too, in Staple Inn, the days were often 
long and listless. Whilst he has Helena with him things 
are better but her school holidays are drawing to a close, 
and she has to return to Rochester to-morrow. Neville 
will then be solitary once again. The promise made to 

1 Landless Proposes. The details of this scene are necessarily 
pure hypothesis, but the evidence for the scene itself is on the cover. 
It has been suggested that the kneehng figure kissing Rosa's hand is 
Jasper or else Tartar. But each of these is shewn elsewhere upon the 
cover and neither is the kneehng figure. The only certain clue to the 
identity of the latter is his moustache. Which character, if any, had 
a moustache ? The answer seems at first to be that no moustache 
is mentioned. But the school-girls at the Nuns' house knew better. 
" Nothing escapes their notice, sir." Recall the quarrel scene acted 
by Neville and Edwin and imitated by the Misses Ferdinand and 
Giggles. " Neville flings the dregs of his wine at Edwin Drood, and is 
in the act of flinging the goblet after it, when his arm is caught in the 
nick of time by Jasper." " Miss Ferdinand got into new trouble by 
surreptitiously clapping on a paper moustache at dinner-time and 
going through the motions of aiming a water-bottle at Miss Giggles 
who drew a table-spoon in self defence." On Miss Ferdinand's evidence 
we shall be safe in saying that Neville wore moustaches. Clearly then 
it is he who kneels at Rosa's feet kissing her hand upon the cover. 
The rustic seat gives the clue to where the scene took place. Even 
now the garden of Staple Inn would make a pretty setting for a love 
scene. In 1842, it was neither so public as now it is nor yet so small 
(See Appendix II). 

2 Tartar away at Rochester. As Datchery (See Episode VII). 



82 THE MURDER OF 



visit him by Mr. Tartar has not been kept. Mr. Cris- 
parkle's visits are as frequent as he can make them, 
but he Hves in distant Rochester, and cannot often get 
to town. Mr. Grewgious is not far off, but he is a busy 
man and no great company. Left to himself, Neville's 
disposition is to work too hard and long, stay in all day 
and walk only at night. Meanwhile, day and night, 
he cannot cease to dream of Rosa or put her image from 
his. mind. While young Drood was alive he pledged 
himself to do so and achieved a measure of success. 
Now he cannot cease to think of her. At last, the Minor 
Canon being in London for a couple of nights, Neville 
plucks up enough courage to beg for release from the 
pledge he gave not to make known to Rosa his love for 
her. He has kept his compact faithfully. Its cause 
has gone now. Surely he may be released ? Reluc- 
tantly, since it cannot be withheld, consent is given. 
But, for his own sake, his sister and the Minor Canon view 
the growth of his resolve to tell his love with gravest 
apprehension. Helena knows that Rosa's heart is 
given elsewhere, and fears the shock to Nevdlle. Added 
to which is the fear of Jasper's jealous rage should 
Neville's proposal to Rosa reach his ears. To gain a 
Httle respite Helena makes the suggestion that she and 
the Minor Canon— if he can spare the time— shall call 
on Rosa in Bloomsbury Square this afternoon. It 
would be well to sound Rosa first, and ascertain that 
she would not be likely to take ill, as yet, Neville's 
proposal, seeing how short a time, comparatively, has 
passed since Eddy's death— assuming indeed that he is 
dead. To which Helena adds that she herself wants to 



EDWIN DROOD 83 

see Miss Twinkleton to learn the arrangements made for 
their journey down to Rochester to-morrow. Neville 
yields and so the matter remains for the present un- 
decided. Crisparkle gladly escorts Helena to Blooms- 
bury and Neville remains alone. While they are away 
Rosa suddenly appears to Neville's view ^ to his amaze- 
ment and delight, entering the pretty garden down below 
his window. In Bloomsburj^ Square there was little of 
comfort or delight on that hot afternoon in early autumn. 
Packing and plans and bickerings between Miss Twink- 
leton and the ever victorious, ever lugubrious Billickin. 
Uncertainty and dust and grittiness on all sides. Rosa 
will get away from it and spend the afternoon at Staple 
Inn she thinks. Now that Miss Twinkleton is leaving, 
new plans are to be made for Rosa. What more natural 
than that she should call on her guardian to learn them 
from him ? What can the visit have to do with Mr. 
Tartar ? He is not now at Staple. Does not Rosa 
know he left there a good while back ? Yes, he keeps 
his chambers on, the porter thinks. No, he can't say 
where he is. No, nor when he will return. So Rosa 
visits P.J.T.* to find that her guardian is not in at 
present. Bazzard is there but he is not communicative 
and does not invite Rosa to step inside. Rosa tells 
him she will await Mr. Grewgious' return, outside in 
the garden. 

3 Rosa appears to Neville's View. A visit to Staple Inn will satisfy 
the reader that this would be so. Neville's, Tartar's and Grewgious' 
rooms are all carefully identified by Dickens. 

^ Rosa Visits P.J.T. P.J.T. means "John Thompson Principal 
'^797," but it needs " no matter-of-fact identification here." For 
present purposes let it mean " Perhaps John Thomas or Perhaps Joe 
Tyler," who Possibly Jabbered Thus. 



84 THE MURDER OF 

Thus, simply, it comes about that Neville looking 
aimlessly out of his window sees Rosa tripping down the 
steps of Grewgious' chambers and visiting the lovely 
little garden of the Inn, where the dust-laden air is 
cooled by the small stream of the spouting fountain 
on this hot afternoon which bees are rendering drowsy. 

Neville will go down to her. She sits beneath a 
tree upon a rustic seat with room for two. There 
Neville joins her. She tells him of the reason of her 
Yisit. It is to see her guardian. He is out at present. 
She must await his return to learn his plans for her, 
as she expects to have to leave London to-morrow or 
some day soon she knows not when. To go ? She 
knows not whither nor cares a great deal. No ! cer- 
tainly not to Rochester ! She shudders at the thought. 
Never there again ! Neville attributes Rosa's agitation 
to the Mystery which has blighted both their lives. 
He has heard nothing ^ of the scene in that other garden 
with Jasper in it. They have kept it from him. He 
merely knows that Jasper has spoken to Rosa about 
himself, and has disclosed to her that his hatred of him 
endures as though he still believed him guilty of the 
murder. Neville has no thought of Jasper as a jealous 
rival. He does not guess how Rosa fears the man and 
shudders at her recollection of him. 



5 He has heard nothing of Jasper's Proposal. The whole story 
had been told to Helena it is true, but " I suppose " pursued Helena 
doubtfully " that he must know by and by all you have told me ; but 
I am not sure. Ask Mr. Crisparkle's advice my darling. Ask him 
whether I may tell Neville as much or as little of what you have told 
me as I think best." The Minor Canon was for the free e.Kercise of 
Helena's judgment. 



EDWIN DROOD 85 

By way of preface to what he is come down to say 
to her, Neville alludes sadly to the tribulations through 
which they have passed — and yet must pass — together. 
With mournful air he begs her forgiveness for his share 
in having caused her sorrow, especially for his foohsh 
quarrel with Edwin. She would stop him if she could 
but what can she do or say ? She cannot make excuses 
and go ; for Neville has just heard from her own lips that 
she awaits her guardian there — if only he would come ! 
She cannot refuse to hear Neville, or surely he will 
suppose himself not merely not forgiven, but even not 
unsuspected of Eddy's death. Embarrassed and 
apprehensive of what next he is about to say — for she 
cannot but suspect to what all this is tending — she 
listens to the impulsive outburst of his pleading, looking 
away from him and nervously toying with a streamer 
from her summer hat. 

She answers confusedly that he would have her 
pardon if it were a case for pardoning and adds that she 
never has suspected him of anything but honest and 
open dealing with poor, poor Eddy. Neville at these 
words lets his hat which he has been holding in his hand 
fall upon the ground ^ and going on one knee, seizes 
Rosa's nearest idle hand and covers it with kisses. 
His passionate nature can no longer bear restraint, 
and his long pent feehngs declare themselves in a torrent 
of ardent tones and words. His love is more than half 
declared, when Rosa snatches back her hand, starts 
from the seat, and in a low and strangled voice cries look ! 

6 Hat upon tkc ground. The details of this scene are taken from 
the cover. 



86 THE MURDER OF 

look ! Neville looks and sees the sailor Tartar 
approaching ' He has just turned in under the archway 
closely followed by Mr. Grewgious. Did he see them ? 
What must he think ? What shall she say or do ? 
These thronging questions are driving Rosa half-dis- 
tracted. Tartar, a little distant in his manner perhaps, 
greets Rosa with a cool " good afternoon, Miss Bud," 
raising his hat. To Neville, Tartar merely says " I 
notice Mr. Landless that your interest in flowers is not 
diminished." Mr. Grewgious who, with his short sight, 
evidently has noticed nothing, invites the whole party to 
step up to his chambers. But .Tartar, raising his hat 
again, begs pardon if he has already intruded too much 
on Miss Bud's time and private business or inconvenienced 
her by keeping her guardian away overlong. While 
Neville on his part mutters some excuse in a strangled 

' Tartar approaching . . Jasper was standing there. Jasper has 
come to town pursuing Neville and Datchery pursuing Jasper. 

Learning from Mrs. Tope that Jasper is going " to get some 
medicine," in town, Datchery divines that Jasper will visit the opium 
woman during the night and lays his plans accordingly. First he 
visits her himself and arranges to be let in by her after Jasper is asleep 
— but before he begins to talk if possible. Datchery will come from the 
docks disguised as a common sailor. This settled, Datchery returns 
to his yacht and resumes his own personality as Tartar. Then he goes 
to Furnival's for lunch, and there meets Grewgious, and is returning 
with him to his chambers to report progress when turning in under the 
inner arch of Staple, he sees Neville on his knees to Rosa. Meanwhile 
Jasper has been to his hotel in .^Idersgate and then either by chance 
or by arrangement has come in contact with the clerk Bazzard in Staple 
Inn, from whom he has learnt the story of the ring. Jasper is still 
hanging around Staple when Rosa arrives and he sees Neville hastening 
down to greet her. From the landing window he watches the whole 
scene which adds fresh fuel to his rage against Neville and decides him 
to instant action. He will get the ring at once, on his return, and 
cause it to be found in Neville's Chambers. That will hang him if 
any evidence can hang a man thinks Jasper. 



EDWIN DROOD 87 



tone and hurries off without his hat until called back 
to be handed it by Mr. Tartar with a sweeping bow. 
Mr. Grewgious seems a Uttle puzzled by the turn events 
have taken, but asks Tartar if it would inconvenience 
him too much to look in later— say ten o'clock to-morrow 
morning ? Mr. Crisparkle will, he hopes, be there. 
This Tartar promises that he will do and takes his leave. 
Rosa, red and white and much perturbed wishes a hurried 
good-bye to him and Neville and precedes her guardian 
up the steps into his chambers. Rosa's agitation would 
have been much increased had she been aware of yet 
another spectator of Neville's action. This spectator 
might have been seen from Mr. Grewgious' first floor 
window to take the form of a slinking individual, standing 
at the second floor landing window of the second house 
from the left corner of the Inn. It was Jasper standing 
there' watching the proposal of his deadly-hated rival 
to his beloved. All but fainting with fury, his coun- 
tenance convulsed and purple, clenched teeth and staring 
eyes, Jasper stands glowering in the shadow and with his 
empty hands claws first the empty air then seems to 
throttle someone. An evil action! He laughs aloud 
when Tartar comes upon the scene and breaks it up. 
First watching them part, Jasper then shnks away 
himself and leaves the Inn. 



' EPISODE IX. 
THE THIRD DAWN. 



90 THE MURDER OF 



EPISODE IX. 
THE THIRD DAWN. 

THE scene of this episode is familiar to you. In that 
meanest and closest of small rooms Eastward 
and still Eastward of Aldersgate it is dark as yet. 
The favourite customer is there already, and lies dressed 
and drugged across the large unseemly broken-down 
bed groaning beneath the weight it bears. Listen ! 
He begins to mutter ! The tattered hag sets her face 
to his to catch his mumblings. Jasper takes no heed 
of her. A third figure lies across the bed — a maudlin 
sailor. He also sprawls and shifts about and draws 
up close to the talking dreamer throwing a tattooed 
arm about his neck. Removing the -arm violently 
from him, Jasper rises bolt upright into a sitting posture. 
" Loose me " he shrieks. Then adds more calmly. 
" The noose is not for me but him, see ! Landless ! 
there ! " and points. Falling back on to one elbow he 
goes on talking in a low but forceful tone. " At last 
the reaping. He is mine — my lawful prey. He will 
not break this net. He cannot. The bird will not 
escape this fowler. The snare is set too well. He's 
mine. The clue is found. The clue is found. The 
link. The ring. It must still be there. I will go get 
it. Now ! To-night. It did not come back. Bazzard 
is certain. Father and son together." The sodden 
sailor has lain quiet all this while, heedless of his arm 



EDWIN DROOD 91 

caught under the body of Jasper when he fell back on 
it. Now, at the name of Bazzard, he stirs a little and 
moves his arm. The action seems to waken Jasper 
from his dream and stupor. The focus of his eyes is 
changed from far to near. He sees the room, he sees 
the bed, he sees the sailor. Furiously he turns upon 
the hostess and assails her in language suited to the 
sordid den. Translated, he asks her what she means 
by letting unmentionable people come there and spy 
upon him ? He grasps the sailor by the arm and asks 
him who the blank he is and what the blank he wants 
there ? The woman shrinks and trembles and calls 
him dearie and offers him another pipe of comfort and 
whines she can't afford to shut out custom with trade 
so slack and the market price so dreffle high just now. 
But the sailor is in a different humour, and slings 
his tattooed arm round Jasper's neck again and hugs 
and kisses him ! Half smothers him ! Not less furious 
now, but oddly reheved, Jasper shakes off the sailor, 
brushes aside the woman and the pipe she offers him, 
and struggling to the window looks out upon the breaking 
dawn. The woman watches him with furtive glances. 
The sailor sings a sea-ditty of dubious meaning with 
voice and breath that speak of gin as much as opium. 
Chnging to the crazy curtains Jasper has much ado to 
collect his scattered normal consciousness. Having 
come to himself earlier than is his wont, he has not 
enjoyed the sequence of Kaleidoscopic colours and 
the Eastern Pageant. By a mighty effort and with many 
a shudder he succeeds at last in shaking off the drowsiness 
upon him and is more or less himself. Still furious with 



92 THE MURDER OF 

the woman he flings her money roughly, reaches down 
his hat and stamps out through the door and down the 
creaking stairs with no good-morrow given to the rat- 
ridden door-keeper beneath them. Though he fre- 
quently looks back, as if expecting it, he is not followed 
as he makes his way, on foot first, to his cheap hotel 
in Aldersgate, and then by train to Rochester. 

Meanwhile, as soon as the stairs have ceased to 
creak to Jasper's tread, the sailor quits the bed and asks 
the hag for water. Wlien she has shambled off to get 
him some the sailor slips off an upper pair of seaman's 
trousers worn over the pantaloons of a man of means 
if not of fashion. The woman returning with a cracked 
jug with water in it he pours some in the basin and with 
the assistance of a piece of yellow soap and vigorous 
rubbing transforms his stained and made up face and 
grubby neck and hands to those of clean and sunburnt 
Tartar. Next he rinses out his mouth swid gargles 
to wash away the taste of vilest gin. The woman 
whines to him it was as potent as she dared to make it to 
get him to talk at all. Who'd ha thought he'd wake 
like that before he'd scarce begun to tell them anything ? 
She calls Tartar " Sir," and whines she'll do better with 
the devil next time when she gets him all along o' her 
lone self. She'll make him talk then ! She'll make him 
talk dearie — sir, she means. Bless you sir, when he 
first came here he'd lay like that for hours, and then 
when it was later, he'd begin to sing and 'd keep on 
singing right through the night. 

Tartar seems too much occupied in getting the look 
and smell and taste and atmosphere of the place out of 



EDWIN DROOD 93 

his eyes and nose and mouth and mind, to pay much 
heed to what the woman says to him. But to her great 
rehef he does not appear annoyed with her or so dis- 
appointed as she expected him to show himself. It 
does not seem as if he had found his martyrdom as 
wasted, quite, as she supposes it to be. Giving the 
woman money — more than the price of the smokes he 
has not had, Tartar arranges to let her know when next 
he needs her help and nodding to her, speeds down 
the stairs with spirits rising with the morning and with 
the prospect of a busy day ahead. 

First he makes for his chambers in Staple Inn, there 
to snatch a little sleep and have a bath and shave and 
breakfast. After that, at ten o'clock, he will go round 
to Grewgious' chambers, as arranged, to confer with 
him and Crisparkle. 

On second thoughts, Tartar changes his programme 
shghtly. Bazzard, it seems, is sppng on them and may 
report the conference to Jasper. So ten o'clock finds 
Tartar smoking his after breakfast pipe on the seat that 
circles the centre tree of the front court clump watching 
for the Minor Canon to come in under the entrance 
arch from Holborn. Before his pipe is finished Cris- 
parkle comes briskly in. Tartar greets him and then 
diverts him from his plan of going at once to Grewgious' 
chambers and carries him up instead to his own. He 
does not detain him long there. Just long enough to 
explain about Bazzard and to arrange for the Minor 
Canon to go alone to the conference with Mr. Grewgious 
and to invite the latter, in Bazzard's hearing, to meet 
" an old schoolfellow of his at an early dinner at 



94 THE MURDER OF 

Furnivals." There the real plan of action can be 
formulated between them without fear of spying. 

It is not necessary for us to follow in detail the 
intervening period. At Furnivals the three meet as 
arranged, and a rather long discussion between them 
produces a summary of the present position and the 
future plans somewhat to this effect : — All were now 
agreed that Edwin was dead, and that Jasper was his 
murderer. Clearly the motive was jealousy and love 
of Rosa. Mr. Grewgious disclosed the evidence he had 
on this point. There was Jasper's strange " God save 
them both." There was his white-lipped anxiety to 
learn whether Grewgious had been sent for to hear that 
the engagement was broken off. There was his recep- 
tion of the news of the utter needlessness of the murder 
for its object after he had committed it. Last and most 
conclusive of all there was his mad confession when 
making love to Rosa. Mr. Crisparkle, too, recalled 
Jasper's delirious cry " What is the matter ? " " Who 
did it ? " when he disturbed him sleeping. Tartar 
added what he had been able to gather from the frag- 
ments overheard by the opium woman threatening 
danger to " Ned," and plainly disclosing Jasper's wild 
love for the threatened young man's sweetheart. Granted 
the murder, it must have been accomplished between 
the time of Neville's good-night to Edwin, and the time 
next morning when Jasper came shouting for his nephew. 
Mr. Crisparkle suggested that Jasper had somehow 
induced Edwin to go with him down to the river and 
there had drowned him. 

But Tartar had another theory. He had lately 



EDWIN DROOD 95 

improved his acquaintance with Durdles the Stone- 
mason. Aided by a large bottle of spirits, he had 
managed to extract from him in the course of several 
conversations a disjointed account of his journeyings 
with Jasper including in particular the unaccountable 
expedition on the Monday before the crime. Durdles' 
description was confused and blurred and puzzling to 
a degree, but these salient facts stood out from it. 
(i) That even before the murder — on this Monday — 
Neville was threatened by Jasper. Tartar's resume of 
what took place behind the fragment of wall of Minor 
Canon Corner, was supplemented by Mr. Crisparkle's 
recollection of what took place in front of it. Neither 
the Minor Canon nor Neville had any suspicion of being 
watched that night. (2) That Jasper showed a quite 
inexpHcable interest in the keys that Durdles carried ; 
especially it would seem in the key tied up in Durdles' 
bundle which opened Mrs. Sapsea's tomb. 

(3) That Jasper had deUberately got Durdles drunk 
and had then left him locked up in the crypt while he 
himself was somewhere outside the Cathedral. This 
fact was not realised by Durdles himself, but Tartar was 
sure of it. His confidence was based on a singular 
fact derived from Deputy — the Imp. Deputy had 
seen Jasper entering the crypt that Monday night, alone, 
less than an hour before the time he earned the enmity 
of the Imp by " a-histing him off his legs," and nearly 
choking him. Durdles too remembered being shaken 
in his sleep and " dropping " the crypt key. Durdles 
also noticed that his bundle in which he carried the 
Sapsea key was not tied as he himself always tied it. 



96 THE MURDER OF 

Mr. Crisparkle, at this point, suggested an immediate 
search of the Sapsea tomb in the expectation of finding 
Edwin's body in it. But Tartar went on to explain 
that he had taken the hberty of borrowing Durdles' 
key without his knowledge and had searched the tomb 
himself already, but to his own intense surprise had 
found nothing at all unusual within it — " except," 
he said " a very small trace of lime left lying there." 
Mr. Grewgious here interposed that he was afraid that 
they were going to find themselves up against a most 
serious legal difficulty. Satisfied as they were — satisfied 
as any jury might be — that the boy was murdered and 
murdered by Jasper, yet no judge would allow a jury 
to convict unless some part at least of the body could 
be found, to prove the death. It looked to him as if 
in this case the body had been successfully and entirely 
destroyed or got rid of. 

Here again Mr. Tartar had clues and suggestions 
which he thought might help them. Mr. Grewgious 
was of course aware from Mr. Crisparkle of the painful 
disclosure that Jasper had made that morning from 
which it appeared that Mr. Grewgious' confidential clerk 
Bazzard had betrayed his employer. There could be 
no doubt that Bazzard was secretly communicating 
with Jasper about the mystery. Mr. Grewgious had 
not, by chance, commissioned Bazzard to do this for 
the sake of securing evidence had he ? No ! emphatic- 
ally Mr. Grewgious had not done that. Could 
Mr. Grewgious throw light at all on Jasper's refer- 
ence to Bazzard ? The words were — " the clue is 
found. The link. The ring. I will go get it. 



EDWIN DROOD 97 



Now ! to-night ! It did not come back. Bazzard is 
certain." 

" Yes." Mr. Grewgious thought he knew exactly 
what was meant. A ring of diamonds and rubies in a 
gold setting which had belonged to Miss Rosa's mother 
was entrusted to him by Miss Rosa's father to give to 
Mr. Edwin, her betrothed, to be their engagement 
ring if they married. This ring Mr. Grewgious had 
handed to Edwin for that purpose in the presence of 
Bazzard. When handing the ring to him Mr. Grewgious 
had thought it right to charge Edwin very solemnly 
that if anything were at all amiss between him and Miss 
Rosa instead of giving the ring to her, he should bring 
it back to Mr. Grewgious. Bazzard, Mr. Grewgious 
beheved, was sleeping while this solemn injunction to 
bring the ring back was laid upon Edwin, but the clerk 
had wakened immediately afterwards and at Mr. Grew- 
gious' request had formally witnessed the transaction. 
Mr. Grewgious had since ascertained that the ring had 
not been given to Miss Rosa or even mentioned to her ; 
nor had it been returned to Mr. Grewgious. 

Mr. Tartar was clear, after what Mr. Grewgious 
had told them, that Bazzard had revealed to Jasper 
about the ring, its gift to Edwin and its non-return. 

Mr. Crisparkle now asked how it was that the ring 
was not with the watch and pin which he had found at 
Cloisterham Weir, and what interpretation could be 
put upon the rest of Jasper's ravings ? With regard 
to the Weir, Tartar put a few questions to Mr. Crisparkle 
which at once brought out that he frequently visited the 
Weir for bathing. This made it not unreasonable to 



98 THE MURDER OF 

suppose that the jewellery had been left there by Jasper 
for the express purpose of its being found by the Minor 
Canon. The ring, on the other hand was, it seemed, 
unknown to Jasper and might not have been discovered 
by him when he took the watch and pin from the body. 
Had Mr. Grewgious communicated the trust on which 
he held the ring to Jasper ? No. It was mentioned 
in the will of Mr. Bud, but so far as Mr. Grewgious was 
aware, Jasper had never seen this will. An attested 
copy of it had been sent to Rosa, and another to Edwin, 
but none to Jasper. " Then," said Mr. Tartar " it 
seems that Jasper knew of the rest of the jewellery and 
removed it, but did not know of this ring till yesterday. 
" It must still lie there." What can this mean except 
that the ring must still lie where the body was left ? 
If that be so Jasper intends to visit the spot at once — 
to-night it may be — to secure the ring. He must be 
followed. I will follow him. 

Mr. Tartar then appealed to the lawyer to know 
whether, supposing Jasper caught in the act of bearing 
away a ring which Mr. Grewgious could identify as the 
ring he had given to the lad who had so mysteriously 
disappeared and bearing it away at night from a place 
which was found to contain some trace of human remains 
these facts coupled with circumstantial evidence of guilt, 
of motive and of opportunity might not be sufficient to 
overcome the legal difficulty arising from the absence of 
the body of the vanished lad ? Would not the case be 
allowed to go to a jury if these facts could be proved ? 
" Yes," Mr. Grewgious thought in those circumstances 
that the Judge might not feel bound to direct acquittal. 



EDWIN DROOD 99 

He was not certain but he thought so. In the 
circumstances of this case the ring would form very 
strong evidence of identity. 

Mr. Crisparkle next called attention to those other 
words which Jasper used. Who was " the lawful 
prey ? " Mr. Grewgious gravely feared it must mean 
Neville. It looked to him as if Jasper hoped to use the 
ring to assist him in bringing a charge of murder against 
Neville. Mr. Tartar had indeed rendered them a service 
by adventuring himself into this fearful den and learning 
what he had told them. 

Tartar beheves that the whole of Jasper's raving is 
now understood except the last ejaculation " Father 
and Son." There seems to be no context to throw 
light on that. Besides he cannot be quite positive 
that he heard the words aright. His movement of 
surprise on hearing Bazzard named had interrupted 
Jasper. A pity that. Otherwise he might have heard 
something really conclusive. However, they must 
act on the materials they had at present and hope that 
their inferences are the right ones. It would assist 
Mr. Tartar to make his own plans if he might be told 
those of the others for to-night and to-morrow ? By 
all means. The Minor Canon travels down to Rochester 
this afternoon with Miss Landless and Miss Twinkleton 
who has been chaperoning Miss Rosa in London as Mr. 
Tartar no doubt knows. And Mr. Landless and Miss 
Bud ? asks Tartar. Neville will remain in his chambers 
here and Miss Bud is to spend the next few days at 
Furnivals while arrangements are being concluded for 
jj^er future residence by Mr. Grewgious. " I see," says 



100 THE MURDER OF 

Mr. Tartar. " Well, I was proposing to sail my yacht 
to Gravesend this afternoon, as the wind serves, and then 
to take a coach and chaise to Rochester. Would it 
not be well if Mr. Landless came with me ? The sea 
air will do him no harm, and with his local knowledge 
and having been the last person to see young Drood 
alive he may be able to give me great assistance in 
Rochester. He need not fear recognition for it will 
be quite dark by the time we arrive, and he, Lobley and 
I will go straight to my rooms where he will meet no 
one else." Mr. Crisparkle undertakes to make this 
suggestion to Neville, but doubts if he will feel incUned 
to fall in with it as he is very loth to be seen in Rochester 
after what has happened. Mr. Grewgious remarks that 
he thinks it Landlesses' duty to go if there is any 
possibility of his being of assistance to Mr. Tartar by 
going. 

Before the luncheon party breaks up it is arranged 
that Mr. Crisparkle shall at once go openly to visit 
Neville while Mr. Tartar, after a short interval, shall 
return to his own chambers and then join Mr. Crisparkle 
and the Landlesses by climbing out of his own window 
and in at theirs. The only task of Mr. Grewgious for 
the present will be to arrange for Rosa's future and to 
keep a watch on Bazzard. 

The scheme is carried out. The whole story is 
laid before Helena and Neville and the plans made 
clear to them. Neville surprises the Minor Canon by 
seeming almost glad to leave Staple Inn for a while in 
spite of Rosa being at Furnivals. He seems depressed 
and dispirited but as Tartar's story proceeds, grows 



EDWIN DROOD id 

furious against Jasper and more than once gives way to 
that motion of clenching his right hand which Mr. 
Crisparkle dislikes so much. As a concession to Neville's 
not unnatural dread of being seen and recognised in 
Rochester, Tartar undertakes to supply a disguise for 
him and it is arranged that Helena shall take down 
with her an outfit of her brother's usual clothing. Rosa, 
it is decided need not be told the plans at present. They 
hope to have something more definite to tell her by 
to-morrow. 

Having now completed our summary of the dawn's 
disclosures, and the day's discussions, we will adjourn 
the scene from Staple Inn to Rochester, where all the 
party now in Neville's room are to meet again before 
the next day dawns. 



EPISODE X. 
HELENA'S PART. 



104 THE MURDER OF 



EPISODE X. 
HELENA'S PART. 

AN unusually handsome lithe young fellow and an 
unusually handsome lithe girl ; much alike ; 
both very dark and very rich in colour ; she 
of almost the gypsy type ; something untamed about 
them both ; a certain air upon them of hunter and 
huntress ; yet withal a certain air of being the objects 
of the chase rather than the followers. Slender, supple, 
quick of eye and limb ; half shy, half defiant ; fierce 
of look, an indefinable kind of pause coming and going 
on their whole expression, both of face and form, which 
might be equally likened to the pause before a crouch 
or a bound. The rough mental notes made in the first 
five minutes of his acquaintance with them by Mr. 
Crisparkle would have read thus verbatim. Neville's 
own short history of himself and his sister was as follows : 
" We come (my sister and I), from Ceylon. We are twin 
children. Our mother died there when we were little. 
We lived with a stepfather and have had a wretched 
existence. He was a miserly wretch who grudged us 
food to eat and clothes to wear and a cruel brute who 
beat my sister more than once or twice. My sister 
would have let him tear her to pieces before she would 
have let him believe that he could make her shed a tear. 
Nothing in our misery ever subdued her, though it 
often cowed me. When we ran away from it (we ran 



EDWIN DROOD 105 

away four times in six years to be soon brought back 
and cruelly punished), the flight was always of her 
planning and leading. Each time she dressed as a boy 
and showed the bearing of a man. I remember when 
I lost the pocket-knife with which she was to have 
cut her hair short how desperately she tried to tear it 
out or bite it off." A girl of remarkable character this 
Helena. True twin to her brother but without his 
imperfections and weaknesses of character. Rapid of 
thought and action it is she, first, who comes to Rosa's 
rescue at the piano. Quick of eye she alone first fathomed 
Jasper's secret love for Rosa and Rosa's fear and detes- 
tation of him. Bold of speech she endorses Edwin's 
conventional remark that Rosa's music master has made 
her afraid of him and her endorsement gives it meaning. 
Bolder still she says outright that she herself would not 
fear Jasper under any circumstances. How little then 
she thought under what circumstances of terror she was 
to prove her courageous fearlessness of him ! But there 
was a slumbering gleam of fire in the intense dark eyes 
that night when in the privacy of their own room she 
took the frightened Rosa under her strong protection. 
Let whomsoever it might concern look well to it ! 

Jasper has cause to be apprehensive of fierce Helena, 
not alone as protectress of Rosa, but also as protectress 
and avenger of her brother. She notices what others 
do not see " Oh, Mr. Crisparkle," she asks " would you 
have Neville throw himself at young Drood's feet or at 
Mr. Jasper's, who maligns him every day ? " After the 
disappearance, Jasper shews that he is, in truth, a trifle 
apprehensive of Helena by his question to Grewgious 



io6 THE MURDER OF 

" Have you seen " — not Neville, but — " his sister ? " 
to learn in answer that she is defiant of all suspicion and 
has unbounded faith in her brother. Her sustained 
confidence in Neville and the truth is such that after 
Neville himself is cowed and broken by the better sort 
of people averting their eyes and silently giving him 
too much room to pass when he meets them in the streets 
of Rochester, Helena passes along those self same 
streets boldly and as high in the general respect as any 
one who treads them. She proves herself a truly brave 
woman whom nothing can subdue. Nothing ! To 
meet a man whom you know to be a murderer and to 
meet him unarmed and alone requires great courage. 
To meet him at night more courage. But to meet him 
alone, unarmed, at dead of night, in the tomb of his 
murdered victim and to be yourself dressed like the 
victim is to meet him under circumstances bound 
(one would think), to be terrifying to anyone — let alone 
an unprotected girl. Under these circumstances of 
terror Helena meets Jasper and is undaunted. She 
stands alone in the tomb awaiting him. Her role is 
Edwin Drood. Wearing her brother's clothes she 
hopes in the darkness of the tomb to seem to Jasper a 
second Edwin. 

What can have brought this pair of enemies at this 
strange hour in this strange guise to this strange place ? 
What is Jasper seeking here ? Why does Helena await 
him thus ? 

" Father and Son." Those words had baffled 
Tartar and the rest. Turning them over and over in 
her mind as she travelled down to Rochester, Helena 



EDWIN DROOD 107 

had hit upon their meaning. Edwin was the son. Had 
Edwin's parents long been dead before his disappearance, 
she asks the Minor Canon ? Mr. Crisparkle answered 
that he had never known Edwin's mother. His father 
died some years before him and was buried at Rochester, 
" Father and son together ! " Helena sees it in a flash ! 
Her first inclination is to tell the Minor Canon her sus- 
picions and to have the grave of the elder Drood ex- 
amined. But then it occurs to her that even if they do 
discover the body of Edwin in that tomb and the ring 
as well, still they will have no proof that Jasper was the 
murderer. The wretch may even maintain his threat 
to Neville. Should Jasper be caught there visiting the 
spot might he not (in a Court of Law) evade the inference 
that would hang him ? Suppose he boldly asserted that 
he came there seeking evidence — as a detective ? It 
is well known that he pretends to be tracking down the 
murderer. Nothing but a full confession, Helena thinks, 
will really hang him or save her brother. Led by her 
reasoning to this difficult conclusion, Helena is non- 
plussed at first. At last she has it ! Supernatural 
dread may extort from the villain's conscience a con- 
fession. In her troubled childhood, more than once, 
Helena has dressed herself in her brother's clothing. She 
will do so again and in the darkness of the tomb, and the 
guiltiness of Jasper's conscience, she will seem to him 
like the murdered Edwin. The plan once formed, 
nothing will turn Helena from it. She knows full well, 
however, that on no account would the Minor Canon 
allow it, therefore, saying nothing to him of her resolve, 
she acts alone and secretly. 



EPISODE XI. 
FLIGHT AND PURSUIT. 



no THE MURDER OF 



EPISODE XL 
FLIGHT AND PURSUIT. 

MIDNIGHT is echoing under Jasper's vaulted 
gateway. The postern door opens. Cau- 
tiously Jasper himself comes out. He glances 
round him suspiciously, but all is silent in the High 
Street and the Cathedral Precincts are empty. Has- 
tening to the churchyard with quick but stealthy tread, 
he unlocks the Drood sarcophagus, and, once within it, 
shuts the door and lights his lantern. Stepping through 
an unlocked inner door holding the lantern high above 
his head, its feeble rays fall sharply on the slim and 
youthful figure of a man. This can't be real ! Jasper 
must be dreaming. Edwin come to life ! Is it a 
ghost that stands before him motionless and silent 
its left hand in the breast of the long top coat as if 
seeking some object in the pocket ? A ghost — pshaw ! 
A mental fancy. Suddenly the hand shoots out holding 
in its palm a ring ! The action betrays the figure and 
Jasper now knows it for no fancy and no ghost. Glaring 
along the feeble candle rays he thinks he knows the face 
and figure — yes and the clothing ! Neville Landless ! 
Jasper your chance is come. Your enemy is deUvered 
into the grip of your strong fingers. The lamp is 
shattered in the first fierce onset, and the struggle goes 
on in darkness and in silence save for the gasps for 
breath and cracking joints and shuffling feet. The 



EDWIN DROOD in 

outcome of it all is obvious from the start. With the 
last choking breath a feeble cry escapes the victim. 
A female cry, the voice of a woman ! Relaxing, too 
late, his iron grip Jasper learns the truth. His second 
victim is a woman. Neville lives still to be the avenger 
of his murdered sister. The hmp body of the murdered 
girl collapses to the floor while Jasper dazed and reeling 
gropes in the darkness for the outer door and stumbles 
forth from the tomb into the night air — straight into the 
arms of Neville Landless. 

This new situation requires a word of explanation. 
When Jasper issued from his gatehouse door at mid- 
night, and looked around suspiciously for watchers, 
he little thought how near they were to him. No light 
shone through the ground floor window of Mr. Dat- 
chery's lodging, but there he sat behind the darkened 
window still guarding the archway door like a cat guards 
mousehole. With him are Landless and Lobley, silently 
awaiting his signal. The signal is given as soon as Jasper 
has gone on towards the Cathedral, and the three con- 
spirators come out and follow him. Triumphant they 
mark him select and enter the Drood sarcophagus and 
close the door. Unknown to one another, the Precincts 
were alive that night with many hiding figures. We 
have seen Helena inside the tomb awaiting Jasper. 
Behind the North door of the crypt Crisparkle and 
Durdles lie in hiding. The Imp too, we may be sure, 
is lurking somewhere near. But to return to the three con- 
spirators awaiting Jasper's exit from the tomb, all unsus- 
pecting of the tragic struggle going on within it. They 
hope to arrest him with the ring upon him issuing from 



112 THE MURDER OF 

the unsuspected hiding place of Edwin's body. They 
anticipate a stealthy hurried exit. Instead of which 
Jasper bursts upon them heedless of anything, and in a 
state approaching frenzy. As Neville, who is nearest, 
seizes him, he does not struggle, but shouts aloud " her 
brother," in a voice of terror. " She is dead, dead, dead. 
In there," . . . and points. Without a syllable 
in answer, Neville loosing Jasper hurries within the open 
tomb. Datchery follows him and Lobley. Jasper 
makes no move, attempts no escape but does not enter. 
They carry Helena forth and lay her body down outside. 
Then with a dire and bitter cry for vengence Neville 
springs at Jasper who turns and flees, his undirected 
steps carrying him among the graves towards the 
Cathedral. Brought forth by the cry, Durdles and 
Crisparkle issue from the crypt and join in the pursuit 
of Jasper. Doubling back Jasper darts in at the crypt 
door left open and up the Great Tower's winding stair- 
case. Up and up the twisting stairs i two steps at a 
time close after Jasper comes Neville ; then Datchery, 
Lobley, Crisparkle ^ and heavy Durdles last. Anon they 
turn into narrower and steeper staircases and the night 
air begins to blow upon them and frightened rooks fly 
out and wheel around. When they gain the open, 

1 up the Twisting Stairs. See the note upon the cover. 
(Appendix V). 

2 Datchery, Lobley, Crisparkle. This is my reading of the cover. 
The top figure has Datchery's wig and Tartar's agility ; the bottom one 
has clothes of a clerical cut ; the centre one has a lot of hair and ill- 
suits any of the better-known characters ; there is nothing inconsis- 
tent, however, with his being " the dead image of the sun in old wood- 
cuts, his hair and whiskers answering for rays all round him," or " a 
jolly favoured man with tawny hair and whiskers.'* 



EDWIN DROOD 113 



top Neville the hunter is hard on Jasper. As stag at 
bay turns on the hounds, Jasper turns on Neville. The 
roles are now reversed, and the pursued hunts his 
pursuer round the narrow passage at the Tower top ; 
but not for long. 

Exhausted, Neville stumbles, a push from Jasper 
and — look down, look down, you see what lies at the 
bottom there ! The appalhng death yell rings in the 
ears of the fellow huntsmen as they too reach the fresh 
night air. Was it Jasper ? Fear tells their hearts 
it was not. Left alone upon the tower top, the murderer 
is nerved by desperation to a feat else never attempted. 
No less than to seek escape by chmbing down the tower 
side to gain the leads over the cathedral roofing. Tartar 
gains the open top only to find it empty. Lobley next 
joins him there, then Crisparkle. The rim of moon 
that is yet to come, has not risen. They can make out 
nothing. All three listen. Yes! The scrambling 
sounds, the labouring breath, the falling pieces, must 
mean that. Someone is climbing in the darkness down 
the tower face. Appalled they look towards one another. 
The cry was Neville's. This scrambUng maniac is a 
triple murderer. Crisparkle is prostrated by the 
tragedies. Tartar, accustomed to emergencies takes 
command. Lobley he despatches for two bell-ropes 
from the belfry. Durdles he sends back to the ground 
to find the body and collect assistance ; some to watch 
the tower base, others to join them at the top. Lobley 
returning with the ropes, the Minor Canon regains his 
self command and assists the two to fasten the ropes 
to a stanchion which Tartar has found there. Tartar 



114 THE MURDER OF 

then prepares to make the descent. He and Lobley test 
the ropes and then, whilst Crisparkle assists above, the 
pair shde down ^ them. Crisparkle himself follows the 
sailors when other help has reached him on the tower 
top. Not to prolong the agony, Jasper between them all 
is cornered and encircled and brought to solid ground a 
handcuffed prisoner. Helena, meanwhile, they have 
carried to Minor Canon Comer, and to the joyful sur- 
prise of all she is found to be still living. The China 
Shepherdess setting aside the keen anxiety for " her 
Sept," she feels, soothingly tends Helena with heated 
blankets and with cordials from the wondrous closet.* 
Slowly her persistent tending is rewarded with signs of 
returning life and consciousness in the patient. Helena 
.returns to life. 

Poor Neville's crushed remains are carried to the 
still open tomb — as to a mortuary — there to await the 
morning. No trace of Edwin has been found within. 

So ends the tragic night with the mystery still 
unsolved. For where is Edwin ? 



3 Slide Down. This portion about the Tower top is not inserted 
for the mere sake of melodrama. There is more than one hint of some 
such conclusion. " Landless who was himself, I think, to have perished 
in assisting Tartar to unmask and seize the murderer." Forster, 
Life, etc. Compare also the climbing scenes at Neville's chambers and 
the scattered references to the agility of the Minor Canon. 

4 The Wonderous Closet. This was a personal recollection of Charles 
Dickens himself. The closet entry in the manuscript reads : — " The 
closet, I remember, there as a child, " not " remember there is a child." 



EDWIN DROOD 115 



THE MANUSCRIPT ENDS. 



Ii6 THE MURDER OF 



THE MANUSCRIPT ENDS. 

WHAT more have I to tell ? That I have been tried 
for my crimes, found guilty and sentenced. That 
I have not the courage to anticipate my doom or to 
bear up manfully against it. That I have no compassion, 
no consolation, no hope, no friend. That I am alone 
in this stone dungeon with my evil spirit, and that I 
die to-morrow. To-morrow ? The dawn has broken. 
I die to-day. 

Postscript in Another Hand. 

THIS book of death was found in the condemned 
cell of Maidstone Gaol, in 1844, addressed simply "To 

Rosa." Remaining unclaimed, it found its way at last 
into the Gaol Museum of ghastly relics. Had the writer 
not chanced upon it there, the story might have remained 
unread until the Day on which all things secret shall be 
revealed. On a small stone slab in the prison cemetery 
is cut " JOHN JASPER, 1843." 

It happens that the writer knew some of the persons 
mentioned in the murderer's tale (all long since dead), 
and so can add a fact or two to round their history off. 

The Mystery was solved by means of Durdles' 
curious gift (or skill as he preferred to call it) of sounding 
sepulchres. His sounding of the elder Drood's sarco- 
phagus led to the discovery of lime within the cavity 
of which he had spoken to Jasper. When this was 



EDWIN DROOD 117 

opened up, a ring — a rose of diamonds and rubies 
delicately set in gold — flashed brightly back the rays 
of lantern light. The lasting beauty of those stones 
was almost cruel. The lime was analysed, and mixed 
with it was found sufficient trace of mortal remains of 
human origin to permit the jury at the trial to " find " 
a body. Nay, more — to find the body of Edwin Drood, 
foully murdered by the prisoner in the dock, John Jasper. 

Among the mighty store of wonderful chains that 
are for ever forging day and night in the vast ironworks 
of time and circumstance, there was one chain forged 
in the moment of that small conclusion (which Edwin 
reached to let the jewels lie unspoken of in his breast), 
which was riveted to the foundations of heaven and 
earth, and gifted with invincible force to hold and drag. 
That chain, riveted by the ring to the earth's foundations, 
and linked by eternal justice to the heavens, held Jasper 
fast and dragged him to the gallows. But for that 
small conclusion Jasper might not have been convicted 
even of Neville's murder, which might have been an 
accident, for no one saw him given the fatal push. 

Helena did not die. Thanks (as the China Shep- 
herdess to her dying day declared), to the magic of the 
marvellous closet and its cordials she soon, and quite 
recovered. Indeed she lived to call the Minor Canon 
(then the Dean) " her " Sept and the China Shepherdess 
" Mamma." 

Rosa never received a third proposal. Man proposes 
but . . . Rosa was disposed of to Lieutenant 
Tartar on the day when, crossing the wide street of 
Holborn, on the sailor's arm, and happening to raise 



ii8 THE MURDER OF 

her eyes to his far-seeing blue ones looking, she 
thought, as if thej^ had been used to watch danger afar 
off, and to watch it without flinching drawing nearer 
and nearer, her dark eyes saw with sudden embarrass- 
ment, that he too seemed to be thinking something about 
them. This a little confused Rosebud, and may account 
for her never afterwards quite knowing how, formally, he 
became the Lord High Admiral, and she became His Lady, 
the First Fairy of the Sea. The ring he put upon her 
finger was a plain gold circle. The tragic ring of dia- 
monds and rubies returned undimmed to Mr. Grewgious' 
keeping. Who has it now, I wonder ? 



EDWIN DROOD 119 



APPENDICES. 



120 • THE MURDER OF 



APPENDIX I. 
EXTRINSIC EVIDENCE. 

We know from Charles Dickens himself, from his son, and from his 
biographer, that Jasper did murder Edwin Drood. We know from his 
illustrator how he mmdered him. 

(i) Dickens' Manuscript Notes. In his own handwriting, and for 
his own eye alone, Dickens wrote (a) " Murder very far off," and 
(b) " Lay the ground for the manner of the murder to come out at last." 

(2) " Mr. Charles Dickens informed me . . . that Edwin 
Drood was dead. His (Mr. Dickens') father told him so himself." 
W. R. Hughes : A Week's Tramp in Dickens Land. 

(3) "The story . . was to be that of the murder of a nephew by 
his uncle ; discovery by the murderer of the utter needlessness of the 
murder for its object was to follow hard upon commission of the deed." 
Forster : Life of Charles Dickens. 

(4) We know from Sir Luke Fildes exactly how Jasper murdered 
Edwin. " I must have the double necktie ! It is necessary, for 
Jasper strangles Edwin Drood with it." This was the answer Dickens 
gave when his attention was called to the change he had made in 
Jasper's dress from a little black tie once round the neck to a large 
black scarf of strong close woven silk, slung loosely round it. (See 
the artist's very important and interesting letter to The Times on this 
subject in October, 1905). 

APPENDIX II. 
THE DATE OF THE STORY. 

The murder took place precisely at midnight, 24-25 December, 
1842. The reader is no doubt astonished at this confident assertion. 
So was the author to discover the evidence on which he bases it. 

Speaking approximately, the book itself proves the disappearance 
to have been on a Christmas Eve which was a Satmrday. If any precise 
year was intended, therefore, it must have been one in which Christmas 
Day fell upon a Sunday. We can narrow the choice of year still further. 
In those days there was no railway to Cloisterham, and Mr. Sapsea 
said there never would be. Some remote fragment of main line to 
somewhere else, there was. Now Christmas fell upon a Sunday in 
1836, in 1842 and in 1853. In 1836 no remote fragment of line to 



EDWIN DROOD 121 



anywhere else approached near Rochester.. .By 1853 the line to Strood 
was built. The line to Strood cannot have been the " fragment " 
referred to. It was not remote. It was not a fragment of main line 
to anywhere else. It could not have so unsettled Rochester trafhc that 
the traffic deserting the high road, came sneaking in from an unprece- 
dented part of the country by a back stable way. If any precise year 
was intended therefore, it can only have been 1842. But was it ? 

In the year of the book (if it had a year), no neighbouring archi- 
tecture of lofty proportions had arisen to overshadow Staple Inn. 
The Westering sun bestowed bright glances on it and the South-west 
wind blew into it unimpeded. By 1853, this was no longer so. The 
lofty building which is now the Patent Office standing in what was 
once the garden of the Inn was planned in 1843, and built soon after. 
Later the Birkbeck Buildings shut out the Western sun. 

Six months or so after the murder, Mr. Crisparkle and Neville dined 
together in London and then parted at the yet unfinished and un- 
developed railway station ; Mr. Crisparlde to get home to Rochester. 
The British Almanac for the previous year, 1842, contains this entry : 
" The great station at London Bridge, for the joint use of the Brighton, 
South Eastern and Croydon companies, and the works connected with 
it, are in rapid progress, but any description of them must be deferred 
until their completion." 

Finally. By 184;:, a fragment of the Main Line to Maidstone had 
been completed and was in use as far as a station then called " Maid- 
stone Road," which will be seen from the map to be the point on that 
line nearest to Rochester. " I lost ye last, where that omnibus you got 
into nigh your journey's end plied betwixt the station and the place," 
the opium woman apostrophises Jasper. Maidstone Road was " the 
station," and Rochester " the place." The omnibus containing 
Jasper came sneaking in to Rochester from this unprecedented part 
of the country (the new railway station) by a back stable way which 
was then Crow or Crau Lane, but is now the Maidstone Road. 

The year 1842, then, is a probable year; it is the only possible 
year ; and it is a year which accords in a quite remarkable fashion 
with a number of hints contained in the book. In fact the assertion 
is justified that 1842 was the year intended by Dickens. 



APPENDIX III. 
THE DATCHERY ASSUMPTION. 

Datchery, like Mr. Nadgett the investigator in " Martin Chuzzle- 
wit," is " a man of mystery." Not that there is any doubt about his 
occupation. The idle man is busy watching Jasper. The buffer of 
an easy temper is playing the detective. His reason for this busy 



122 THE MURDER OF 



idleness is what requires an explanation — that, and who he is himself. 
He might be Bazzard, but in character he is that gloomy self-centred 
clerk's antithesis. He might be Edwin were not Edwin dead. He 
might be Helena, were she not a woman. He may be quite a stranger 
to the story. But the author is convinced that Datchery is Tartar. 

If Datchery is not Tartar, we have perforce, another mystery with 
which to battle. Why did Tartar — who was in love with Rosa, and 
with whom Rosa was in love, and who was to marry Rosa, and whose 
chambers were within ten minutes' walk of Rosa's lodgings, and who 
was daily and hourly anticipated there by Rosa — never call on Rosa 
at the Billickin's ? 

If Tartar is not Datchery, again, why is there nothing inconsistent 
in the personal descriptions of the two men ? Why in drawing one of 
them is it possible to describe the pair ? Why are their tastes odd and 
identical ? Why do these two characters employ closely similar phrases 
of polite apology ten times and all the other characters that Dickens 
drew not even once ? In a word why are their personalities so similar 
that a critic who (for other reasons) believed their identification to be 
impossible yet could write " Datchery's speech and bearing have a 
distinct individuality resembling that of no other person in the story 
except Tartar ? " 

The Tartar theory has had one, and only one, serious objection 
brought against it. That objection is the sequence of the chapters. 

Chapter XVII. Tartar introduces himself to Landless and to us. 

Chapter XVIII. Datchery appears at Cloisterham. 

Chapter XIX. Jasper proposes to Rosa who faints in going 
upstairs. 

Chapter XX. Rosa flees to Staple Inn and confides in Mr. 
Grewgious. 

Chapter XXI. Rosa and Tartar meet for the first time and 
fall in love. 

The explanation of the difficulty seems to be that Dickens inten- 
tionally departed from strict chronology in the marshalling of his 
Chapters. He jumps from place to place and not from time to time. 
Authors often do. 

Chronologically everything hinges on the opening words of the 
Chapter that introduces Datchery to Cloisterham. 

" At about this time a stranger appeared in Cloisterham." At 
about what time ? When the words were written the Chapter followed 
Rosa's fainting fit. They were not altered when the Chapter (for some 
reason possibly connected with the monthly issues) was put earlier. 

At about the time of Rosa's fainting, then, Datchery appeared in 
Rochester. Why not ? Rosa fainted on Monday, July 3rd. On 
Tuesday, she met Tartar. On Wednesday, he vanished from the 
story as London-Tartar, and her gritty stage began. On this same 



EDWIN DROOD 123 



Wednesday, he became the man of mystery at Rochester. Does not 
an event on Wednesday occur " at about the time " of one on Monday ? 
For a somewhat more detailed presentation of " The Case for 
Tartar " the author refers the reader to the pages of The Dickensian. 
In them will be found articles in January 1906, by Mr. G. F. Gadd, 
and in October, 1919, by the present author. 



APPENDIX IV. 
DURDLES' YARD. 

So far as the author's researches have extended, no one yet has 
identified the site of Durdles' house. 

Durdles, it will be remembered, was a stonemason, chiefly in the 
gravestone, tomb, and monument way, who lived in a little antiquated 
hole of a house that was never finished, and was supposed to be built 
so far of stones stolen from the City wall. To this abode there was an 
approach ankle deep in stone chips, and resembling a petrified grove of 
tomb stones, urns, draperies and broken columns in all stages of sculp- 
ture. By the yard gate there lay, on the night of the unaccountable 
expedition, a mound of quick-lime, " Quick enough to eat your boots, 
with a little handy stirring, quick enough to eat your bones." 

Now, according to Forster, " by means of a gold ring which had 
resisted the corrosive effects of the lime into which he had thrown the 
body, not only the person murdered was to be identified, but the locality 
of the crime, and the man who had committed it." 

How, then, came the lime from Durdles' Yard into the place of 
sepulture ? In Procter's opinion, " either then, while Durdles slept " 
(in the crypt on the night of the unaccountable expedition) " or on the 
night of the murder, Jasper procured some of this quick-lime and put 
it in Mrs. Sapsea's tomb." This opinion the present author shares. 
By the majority, of recent students of the Mystery, however, this 
hypothesis has been scouted on the grounds thus forcefully stated by 
Professor Henry Jackson in his invaluable study " About Edwin 
Drood." 

" I demur altogether to the hypothesis which Mr. Lang shares with 
Mr. Procter, that Jasper brought quick-lime in a wheel barrow from one 
end of Cloisterham to the other. Anyone who is acquainted with 
Rochester will perceive that the route through the Monk's Vineyard 
would have dangers as great as those of the route along the High 
Street though no doubt of a different kind." 

The author recalls the tale of a logic lecturer at an Oxford College, 
who (by way of illustrating the many means of escape from a logical 
dilemma), notionally blocked the doors and windows of the Hall in 
which he was lecturing with armed murderers, and then lighted an 



124 THE MURDER OF 



inextinguishable fire within. Having convinced his audience that he 
had left himself no means of escape, he next touched a secret spring 
in the oak pannel'ling behind him and concluded his lecture by dis- 
appearing from the room. 

It is even so with the dilemma with which Dickens has puzzled 
Professor Jackson and the rest. From the graveyard there are but 
two orthodox approaches to Durdles' hole-in-the-wall — the one via 
the Vines, the other through the High Street. Both routes are im- 
possible for the secret carriage of quick-lime. But a third and hidden 
route offers every facility. For in truth Durdles' unfinished house 
which actually abuts on the Precincts, may be described in a sense as 
" over-looking the churchyard." Dickens so described it himself in 
his manuscript, but deleted the description before printing the number, 
perhaps from the fear that it gave too much away at that stage. 

A glance at the plan of Rochester will shew the route taken by 
Jasper in carrying the lime to the grave which he intended for Edwin's 
occupation. The way is short, secret and easy, and leads through that 
" stillest part which the Cathedral overshadows," to which Jasper paid 
such unaccountable attention. Furthermore the lime explains why it 
was necessary for Jasper to arrange that Durdles should be away from 
home on that night, and also why he apprised the Dean (whose entrance 
drive he would have to use) of his intention to engage in these nocturnal 
prowlings. The whole device is redolent of the genius of simplicity. 

The author places Durdles' Yard next to what is called " the Old 
Deanery." There used to be a builder's yard here, and in a painting 
in the Nun's house, it is indicated as such. The Old Deanery, which is 
well worth a visit for its own sake, is now a bookshop, and appears to be 
in the hands of a proprietor who takes a genuine interest in its architec- 
ture and associations. The entrance gate to the yard opens out on to the 
High Street, as that of Durdles' yard must have done. For when Jasper 
and he, on their way back via the Vines, came under the victorious 
fire of Deputy who was standing outside the Travellers' Twopenny, 
Jasper " turns the corner into safety and takes Jasper home." This 
corner was the junction of Crau Lane, with the High Street and after 
Durdles had stumbled up his stony yard to bed, Jasper returned to 
his Gatehouse " by another way," which was clearly the High Street 
also. 

APPENDIX V. 
THE COVER. 

In a suggestive article in The Dickcnsian for January, Mr. 
Willoughby Matchett lays it down that " the true explanation of the 
cover lies less in the actual — that bee in the bonnet of all other solvers — 
than in the emblematical." Is Mr. Matchett right in this ? Are the 



EDWIN DROOD 125 



vignettes on the cover of purely emblematical significance or were they 
actual scenes in the story to be written ? Mr. Matchett adds " Actual 
scenes were not the Dickens' custom." But in this he is wrong. 
Amongst much emblematical matter woven into the decorative covers 
of Dickens' earlier books, several actual scenes are found. The reader 
can verify this statement by consulting Mr. Matz Memorial Edition 
of Forster's " Life of Charles Dickens." The covers are most con- 
veniently collected there. 

The truth is that the Drood cover is both emblematical and actual. 
The author's reading of it is as follows : — 

Of the corner pieces, the top two are pure emblems ; the bottom 
pair are characters in the story — a trifle idealized perhaps. At the top, 
the spirit of happiness and roses is opposed by the sinister fury with 
a dagger. At the bottom, while the Princess Puffer smokes her pipe 
in one corner, Jack-Chinaman-t'other-side-the-court enjoys his in the 
other. 

On its sinister side, the cover is thorny and male ; on its dexter 
side it is rosy and predominantly female. Centrally, beneath the title, 
is Durdles dinner bundle surmounted by crossed key and spade. The 
rest of the cover is occupied by actual scenes of which there are five. 

(i) In the Nave of the Cathedral coming out from service with the 
choir, Jasper scrutinizes Rosa and Edwin walking arm-in-arm not over- 
lovingly. Jasper's gaze is fixed on Rosa who looks away from him. 

(2) A girl is studying a placard headed " LOST." The author 
does not understand this scene, unless it is Rosa looking at one of 
Jasper's advertisements of Edwin's disappearance. 

(3) A kneeling figure with moustache kisses the hand of a girl in 
a garden ; she, meanwhile, toys with a streamer from her hat in 
apparent embarrassment or boredom. This is Neville proposing to 
Rosa in the garden of Staple Inn. 

(4) A dark place in which a door has just been opened, admitting 
Jasper holding on high a lantern. In the midst stands a statuesque 
figure dressed in a man's hat and a long coat and bearing some resem- 
blance to the picture of Edwin higher on the cover. Jasper seeking 
the ring finds Helena awaiting him there, in the tomb, dressed to 
resemble Edwin in Neville's garb. 

(5) Three figures climb a winding staircase two steps at a time 
pointing upwards as they go. They are Crisparkle, Lobley and 
Datchery (Tartar), pursuing Jasper up the staircase of the Tower. 



:: :: DAINTY GIFT BOOKS :: :: 

THE CHARLES DICKENS XMAS 
BOOKLETS 

Illustrated in colour and black and white 
By DORIS M. PALMER. 
F'cap, 8vo, I /6 net. 

A unique series of booklets, eminently suitable as 
substitutes for Xmas Cards, of the less familiar short 
stories by CHARLES DICKENS. 

1. The Seven Poor Travellers. 

2. A Christmas Tree, and 

What Christmas is as we grow older. 

3. Holiday Romance. 

4. A Child's Dream of a Star, and Holly Tree. 

THE CHARLES DICKENS 
CALENDAR 

A quotation from the Works of Charles Dickens for 
every day in the year, compiled by B. W. MATZ, 
Editor of " The Dickensian." 

Dainty decorative cover and portrait of Charles 
Dickens. F'cap, 8vo, 2/- net. 

CECIL PALMER. Oakley House. 
14/18 Bloomsbury Street, LONDON, W.Cl. 



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